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Markus H. Kuehn, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Introduction

My laboratory studies the cellular and genetic mechanisms that are involved in glaucoma. In particular we are examining whether patient derived stem cell treatments can restore healthy pressure within eyes with primary open angle glaucoma. A second topic of our research is to determine if inflammation and immune reactions contribute to vision loss in glaucoma.

Current Positions

  • Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Education

  • MS in Botany, Goethe University (Frankfurt), Frankfurt, Germany
  • PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
  • Postdoctoral Fellow in Ophthalmology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States

Graduate Program Affiliations

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

Research Interests

  • Cellular and molecular mechanisms of glaucoma
  • Genetics of glaucoma
  • Development of sustained release formulations of intraocular pressure lowering drugs
  • Cellular events occurring during the glaucomatous degeneration of the retina and optic nerve

Selected Publications

  • Brumley S, Xian S, Kuehn MH. (2025). Loss of Trabecular Meshwork Stem Cells is Correlated with Open Angle Glaucoma. Exp Eye Res :110296. ONLINE AHEAD OF PRINT. DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2025.110296. PMID: 39956352.
  • Zeng H, Dumitrescu AV, Wadkins D, Elwood BW, Gramlich OW, Kuehn MH. (2022). Systemic Treatment with Pioglitazone Reverses Vision Loss in Preclinical Glaucoma Models. Biomolecules 12(2):281. DOI: 10.3390/biom12020281. PMID: 35204782. PMCID: PMC8961625.
  • Acott TS, Fautsch MP, Mao W, Ethier CR, Huang AS, Kelley MJ, Aga M, Bhattacharya SK, Borras T, Bovenkamp D, Chowdhury UR, Clark AF, Dibas MI, Du Y, Elliott MH, Faralli JA, Gong H, Herberg S, Johnstone MA, Kaufman PL, Keller KE, Kelly RA, Krizaj D, Kuehn MH, Li HL, Lieberman R, Lin SC, Liu Y, McDonnell FS, McDowell CM, McLellan GJ, Mzyk P, Nair KS, Overby DR, Peters DM, Raghunathan V, Rao PV, Roddy GW, Sharif NA, Shim MS, Sun Y, Thomson BR, Toris CB, Willoughby CE, Zhang HF, Freddo TF, Fuchshofer R, Hill KR, Karimi A, Kizhatil K, Kopcyznski CC, Liton P, Patel G, Peng M, Pattabiraman PP, Prasanna G, Reina-Torres E, Samples EG, Samples JR, Steel CL, Strohmaier CA, Subramanian P, Sugali CK, van Batenburg-Sherwood J, Wong C, Youngblood H, Zode GS, White E, Stamer WD. 2024 Consensus Recommendations for Studies of Outflow Facility and Intraocular Pressure Regulation Using Ex Vivo Perfusion Approaches. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 65(14):32. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.14.32. PMID: 39693082.
  • Brumley S, Kuehn MH. (2024). Reduced abundance of trabecular meshwork stem cells in human donor eyes with POAG. Inves. Ophth. & Vis. Sci 65(7):5170.
  • Ethier CR, Fard MRB, Chan JT, Read AT, Li GR, Cheng L, Jhunjhunwala A, Safa BN, Siadat SM, Grossniklaus HE, Emelianov SY, Starner WD, Kuehn MH. (2024). Magnetically-steered Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Lower Intraocular Pressure (IOP) for 9 Months in Mice. Inves. Ophth. & Vis. Sci 65(7):6460.
  • Mayberry J, Zeng HL, Kuehn MH. (2024). Contribution of CD4 and CD8 cells to retinal ganglion cell loss in glaucoma. Inves. Ophth. & Vis. Sci 65(7):572.
  • Harper MM, Boese EA, Kardon RH, Ledolter J, Kuehn MH. (2021). High Correlation between Glaucoma Treatment with Topical Prostaglandin Analogs and BDNF Immunoreactivity in Human Retina. Curr Eye Res 46(5):739-745. DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1822417. PMID: 32985274.
  • Akurathi A, Boese EA, Kardon RH, Ledolter J, Kuehn MH, Harper MM. (2022). Decreased Expression of Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors in Glaucomatous Human Retinas. Curr Eye Res 47(4):597-605. DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2021.2002907. PMID: 34738835.
  • Wang CL, Skeie JM, Allamargot C, Goldstein AS, Nishimura DY, Huffman JM, Aldrich BT, Schmidt GA, Teixeira LBC, Kuehn MH, Yorek M, Greiner MA. (2024). Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Recapitulates Human Disease in the Anterior Segment of the Eye. Am J Pathol. 194(6):1090-1105. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.02.004. PMID: 38403162.
  • Grozdanic, S. D., Lazic, T., Kecova, H., Mohan, K. & Kuehn, M. H. (2019). Optical coherence tomography and molecular analysis of sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) eyes suggests the immune-mediated nature of retinal damage. Veterinary ophthalmology 22 (3) 305-327. DOI: 10.1111/vop.12597. PMID: 30109754. PMCID: PMC6563498.