Original peer-reviewed articles
- Evaluation of the transgene expression by digital droplet PCR after ocular gene transfer.
Ren D, Dalkara D, Fisson S, Ail D†
Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), 2025 - Inter-individual variability in immune responses to AAV-mediated ocular gene delivery across species impedes reliable immunomonitoring profile.
Ren D, Chauveau G, Vendomele J, Cabon E, Pineiro A, Vignal-Clermont C, Saliba H, Ronzitti G, Galy A, Dalkara D, Pulman J, Ail D, Fisson S
bioRxiv, 2025. Read and download the paper here - Inducible non-human primate models of retinal degeneration for testing end stage therapies and understanding disease mechanisms.
Ail D†, Nava D, Hwang I, Brazhnikova E, Nouvel-Jaillard C, Dentel A, Joffris C, Rousseau L, Dégardin J, Bertin S, Sahel JA, Goureau O, Picaud S, Dalkara D†
Science Advances, 2023. Read and download the paper here - Pre-existing neutralizing antibodies against different adeno-associated virus serotypes in large animal models.
Ail D† and Dalkara D
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2023. Read and download the paper here - Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) - Based Gene Therapies for Retinal Diseases: Where are We?
Ail D†, Malki H, Zin EA, Dalkara D (Invited Review)
The Application of Clinical Genetics, 2023. Read and download the paper here - Immune responses to gene editing by viral and non-viral delivery vectors used in retinal gene therapy
Ren D, Fisson S, Dalkara D and Ail D†
Pharmaceutics, 2022. Read and download the paper here - Stanniocalcin2, but not Stanniocalcin1, responds to hypoxia in a HIF1-dependent manner in the retina
Ail D, Samardzija M, Chang ACM, Keck J, Reddel RR., Grimm C
Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022. Read and download the paper here - Systemic and local immune response to intraocular AAV vector administration in non-human primates.
Ail D, Ren D, Brazhnikova E, Nouvel-Jaillard C, Bertin S, Fisson S, Dalkara D
Molecular Therapy – Methods and Clinical Development, 2022. Read and download the paper here - Linking YAP to Muller glia quiescence exit in the degenerative retina.
Hamon A*, Ail D*, Garcia D*, Bitard J, Chesneau A, Dalkara D, Locker M, Roger J, Perron M
Cell Reports, 2019. Read and download the paper here - Hif1a inactivation rescues photoreceptor degeneration induced by chronic hypoxia-like stress.
Barben M*, Ail D*, Storti F, Klee K, Schori C, Samardzjia M, Michalakis S, Biel M, Meneau I, Blaser F, Barthelmes D, Grimm C
Cell Death and Differentiation, 2018. Read and download the paper here - Retinal degeneration and regeneration – Lessons from fishes and amphibians.
Ail D and Perron M
Current Pathobiology Reports, 2017. Read and download the paper here - Müller glial cell reactivation in Xenopus models of retinal degeneration.
Langhe R*, Chesneau A*, Colozza G, Hidalgo M, Ail D, Locker M, Perron M
Glia, 2016. Read and download the paper here - Elucidating the mechanisms of HIF1A mediated age-realated retinal degeneration.
Ail D University of Zurich, Switzerland, 2015. Read and download the thesis here - Increased expression of proton-sending G protein-coupled receptor Gpr65 during retina degeneration.
Ail D*, Rüfenacht V*, Caprara C, Samardzjia M, Grimm C
Neuroscience, 2015. Read and download the paper here - P38 MAPK signaling acts upstream of LIF-dependent neuroprotection during photoreceptor degeneration.
Agca C, Gubler A, Traber G, Beck C, Imsand C, Ail D, Caprara C, Grimm C
Cell Death and Disease, 2013. Read and download the paper here - Phosphorylation of Smo tail is controlled by membrane localization and is dispensible for clustering.
Kupinski AP*, Raabe I*, Michel M, Ail D, Brusch L, Weidemann T, Bökel C
Journal of Cell Science, 2013. Read and download the paper here - Development of a sensor for the Hedgehog signaling pathway.
Ail D Technical University of Dresden, Germany, 2009.
* Shared authorship, † Corresponding/ Lead author
Conference Presentations
- 2024 Symposium on Health and Sensory Receptors at HUST, China
Immune challenges to gene therapies for sensory receptors in the eye. - 2022
ViMaMo conference at the Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
Three distinct nonhuman primate inducible-models of retinal degeneration. - European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland
Generation of three distinct non-human primate inducible-models of retinal degeneration.
View and download the poster here - Federation of European Neurosciences Societies (FENS) meeting in Paris, France
Inducible non-human primate models of retinal degeneration. - 2021
International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI) virtual congress
Intraocular administration of adeno-associated virus results in systemic and local immune response in non-human primates. - Retinal Degeneration Meeting (RD2021) in Nashville, USA
Evaluation of host immune responses to intraocular AAV injections in non-human primates.
Award: received an award by Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) to attend and present at RD21
View and download the poster here - 2019
Joint French – Japanese (RIKEN) meeting at the Vision Institute, Paris, France
Immune responses to AAV-injections in Non-human Primates. - Janelia conference on Engineering and Evolving Viruses at the Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, USA
Evaluation of host immune responses to subretinal AAV injections in non-human primates.
Award: received an award by Janelia conference committee to attend and present
View and download the poster here - 2018
French Xenopus Meeting at Sorbonne University, Paris, France
Retinal regeneration in novel Xenopus models of neural tissue degeneration: the role of the Hippo/Yap pathway. - 2017
European Amphibian Club in Rennes, France
Role of YAP in the Muller-cell mediated regeneration of the Xenopus retina.
View and download the poster here - French Stem Cell Network meeting at the Curie Institute, Paris, France
Muller-cell mediated regeneration of the Xenopus retina. - 2014 10th ZIHP symposium at the Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology, Zurich, Switzerland
The hypoxic response and HIF1A in the development of age-related blindness. - 2014: Federation of European Neurosciences Societies (FENS) meeting in Milan, Italy
Role of Stanniocalcin2 in the hypoxic retina.
View and download the poster here - 2013
Young Researcher Vision Camp in Wildenstein, Germany
Stanniocalcin-2 in chronic and acute hypoxia in the retina. - Association for Research in vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2013 in Seattle, USA
HIF1 dependent upregulation of Stanniocalcin-2 in chronic and acute hypoxia in the retina.
View and download the poster here - 9th ZHIP symposium in Zurich, Switzerland
Upregulation of Stanniocalcin-2 in chronic and acute hypoxia in the retina. - 2012 ZNZ Neuroscience symposium in Valens, Switzerland
Exploring the role of Hypoxia inducible factor 1 in neurodegenerative diseases of the Retina. - 2013: Swiss Eye Research Week (SERM 2013) in Biel, Switzerland
Is Hif1a the missing link between complement activation and AMD? - 2009: iGEM – Team Biotec at MIT, Boston, USA
Factory-on-a-chip: Temporal and spatial control of protein synthesis by in vitro recombination inside picoliter reactors.
Conference Organization
- 2022 Webinar series – Part of the iGEM ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ committee responsible for organization of a webinar series on ‘Mental Health in STEM’
- 2017 International Neuroscience conference - Part of the organizing committee of the Neuroscience Workshop Saclay (NeWS 2017) at Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
- 2015 Institute seminars - Part of the organizing committee of ‘Wagi seminars’ - a monthly seminar series at the University of Zurich in Schlieren, Switzerland.
Editorial Work
I was invited to serve as a guest editor for a methods collection on “Retinal Disease Analysis and Therapy” in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE). JoVE is the leading peer-reviewed scientific methods video journal, aimed at increasing the visibility and reproducibility of research. To date very few journals publish video articles in the biomedical field, despite this type of article being of paramount importance for sharing techniques and improving replicability. Hence, I started a methods collection to offer a comprehensive overview of methodology in the field of vision sciences – more specifically to provide detailed techniques for the structural and functional analysis of both healthy and diseased retina, as well as experimental protocols for therapy design and testing.
Grant Reviews
- 2024 Grant review for European Science Foundation (ESF) and Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), Belgium for the FWO 2024 Call for Junior and Senior Research Projects.
- 2021 Grant review for Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Peer Reviews
I have been invited to peer-review manuscripts (both original reserach and reviews) by various journals/publishers.
- Nature Publishing Group - Cell Death and Disease, Cell Death and Differentiation, Biodrugs.
- Cell Publishing - Cell Reports Medicine, Molecular Therpay - Methods and Clin. Dev.
- ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and ophthalmology) Journals - IOVS and TVST.
- PloS (PlosOne), Wiley (Advanced Science), Elsevier (Experimental Eye Reserach), Spinger (BioDrug) and JoVE.