Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
  • About
  • Science
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage AnalysisBioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute Biorepository Genomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & Administrative Engagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • About
  • Science
    • Scientific Programs
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • All Cores
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage Analysis BioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering >
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute BiorepositoryGenomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Research Education & Training Center
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & AdministrativeEngagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Search

Research News

❮News Cleveland Clinic to investigate biomarker testing for using autologous serum eye drops

06/14/2024

Cleveland Clinic to investigate biomarker testing for using autologous serum eye drops

The Daniel Rotroff Lab is teaming up with ophthalmologists to identify molecules that predict who will experience relief from eye pain after cataract surgery.

...

Daniel Rotroff, PhD (front right) with lab members including Research Associate Courtney Hershberger, PhD (front left), who will head the research project under his mentorship.

A team of Cleveland Clinic researchers and physicians are teaming up to create a biomarker test that will predict whether a patient will benefit from autologous eye drops, otherwise known as serum tears.

Serum tears are a personalized form of artificial tears designed to help people living with severe chronic eye pain from dry eye or following cataract surgery. Components in serum isolated from blood are similar enough to the molecules found in tears that they can help lubricate and heal the eyes. Serum tears can be a powerful source of relief for individuals suffering from chronic eye pain. However, the treatment only works in half of patients. 

"The process of making autologous eye drops is very time-intensive and involved for both my patients and my team and the treatments aren't always covered by insurance," says Rony Sayegh, MD, an ophthalmologist with Cleveland Clinic's Cole Eye Institute. "If there were a test to determine their response before treatment, we could spare non-responders a lot of time and money." 

Dr. Sayegh and Director of the Center for Quantitative Metabolic Research Daniel Rotroff, PhD, are leading efforts to develop testing for serum tear outcomes. They were awarded $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health for the first step of making this test: figuring out what physicians can measure to identify responders and non-responders. The project started in 2024. 

Dr. Rotroff's research team will analyze samples from the eyes and blood of individuals receiving serum tears to identify molecules and other factors that correlate with responsiveness. The team will then conduct tests to determine whether these factors, called biomarkers, can predict which patients would be good candidates for autologous serum tears. 

The Rotroff lab will also use their findings to learn more about post-surgery eye pain, dry eye and serum tears in general.

"The biomedical field doesn't fully understand how these treatments actually work or what parts of the serum help the eye, but any molecule that changes in response to treatment has the potential to be involved in the biological processes behind it all," Dr. Rotroff explains. "We hope to identify molecules that will predict which patients will benefit from this treatment while improving our understanding of what causes their pain to discover better treatments."

Featured Experts
Daniel  Rotroff Headshot
Daniel
Rotroff, PhD
News Category
Related News
New Analysis of Previous Trial Results Offers Insights into Personalized Care for Type 2 DiabetesResearchers Embark on New Study to Identify Predictors of Chemotherapy-Associated Pain ConditionThis lab advances biomarker testing by collaborating with clinicians on tricky conditions

Research areas

Quantitative Health Sciences

Want To Support Ground-Breaking Research at Cleveland Clinic?

Discover how you can help Cleveland Clinic save lives and continue to lead the transformation of healthcare.

Give to Cleveland Clinic

Subscribe to get the latest research news in your inbox.

About Lerner

About Us Careers Contact Us Donate People Directory

Science

Clinical & Translational Research Core Services Departments, Centers & Programs Laboratories Research News

Education & Training

Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program RISE Program Undergraduate & High School Programs

Site Information & Policies

Search Site Site Map Privacy Policy Social Media Policy

9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | © 2025 Lerner Research Institute