Professor Na Kyung-sun of Yeouido St. Mary's Eye Hospital Receives Korean Allergan Academic Research Award

Professor Na Kyung-sun, Department of Ophthalmology, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Catholic University Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 4th that Professor Na Kyung-sun of the Department of Ophthalmology received the 'Korean Allergan Ophthalmology Research Award' at the Korean Ophthalmological Society Academic Conference.

Professor Na received this award for her paper titled "Mutations in corneal remodeling-related genes ALDH3A1, LOX, and SPARC in keratoconus patients," which was selected as the best paper in the external eye field.

Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory progressive corneal disease in which the cornea gradually thins and protrudes, eventually causing significant visual impairment due to corneal distortion and opacity. Although there are various hypotheses based on different ocular and systemic diseases regarding the cause of keratoconus, the exact cause is still unknown.

Professor Na's team conducted joint research with CK St. Mary's Eye Clinic and analyzed the genomes of normal individuals and keratoconus patients in Koreans, discovering mutations in the corneal remodeling-related genes ALDH3A1, LOX, and SPARC. Professor Na said, "This study confirmed the pathogenesis of keratoconus, and it is expected to help in the diagnosis and treatment of keratoconus in the future."

The 'Korean Allergan Ophthalmology Research Award' is sponsored by Korean Allergan, a global pharmaceutical company operating in over 100 countries worldwide, and is awarded annually by the Korean Ophthalmological Society after reviewing the best academic papers in each field.

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