Constantin J. Beckers, ophthalmology resident at the Eye Clinic of the University Hospital Basel and researcher in the Ophthalmic Translational Research Group at IOB, has received the first price at the SICCA Award, funded by Bausch + Lomb, for his project on aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK).

AAK is a progressive, blinding corneal disease caused by mutations in the PAX6 gene. As the disease advances, the cornea gradually loses its transparency, and no causal therapy is currently available. The awarded project pursues an ex vivo gene-editing strategy: stem cells are taken from the patient, corrected with gene editors to repair the underlying PAX6 mutation, and then returned to the eye.

The award also reflects the range of IOB’s translational portfolio, as the awarded project extends our gene editing expertise from the retina to the ocular surface, underscoring our commitment to developing innovative therapies for vision loss.