AIBP-based protection for nerves in glaucoma
Official title: AIBP-mediated neuroprotection in glaucomatous optic neuropathy
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11369818 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests whether boosting a cholesterol-regulating protein (AIBP) can protect eye nerve cells from glaucoma-related damage in humans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $618,515 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034116-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369818 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with glaucoma or at risk of glaucomatous optic neuropathy who may benefit from therapies targeting AIBP-related pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without glaucoma or without the specific AIBP-related mechanism may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and affects vision, and this project looks at how AIBP may reduce harmful inflammation and mitochondrial problems in eye cells. Researchers will study how AIBP interacts with TLR4 signaling and cholesterol pathways to protect retinal cells. The work will build on preliminary data showing AIBP is reduced in glaucomatous tissue and may help keep mitochondria healthy and nerve fibers intact. Findings could point toward new therapies that preserve sight by calming inflammation and supporting cellular energy in glaucoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new treatments that slow or prevent vision loss in glaucoma by protecting retinal cells from inflammation and mitochondrial stress.
How similar studies have gone: Early findings in humans and animal models suggest targeting AIBP-TLR4 pathways can influence neuroinflammation and mitochondrial health, supporting a potential benefit.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ju, Wonkyu — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Ju, Wonkyu
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Non-invasive, microscopic biomarkers to detect CIPN in chemotherapy patients
This grant aims to develop a non-invasive imaging method to measure nerve changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy to better understand and monitor chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
-
Neonatal Fc receptor blockade by efgartigimod to help inflammatory nerve disease
Aims to test how blocking a specific antibody trafficking receptor with efgartigimod could improve nerve inflammation in a model of AIDP/GBS-type neuropathy.
-
Schwann cell aging and secretions linked to diabetic nerve damage
A research project looking at how aging nerve cells and their secretions may drive nerve damage in people with type 2 diabetes.
-
Diabetic bladder problems in diabetes mice show sex-specific nerve and inflammation roles
Aims to understand why bladder problems happen in diabetes, exploring how inflammation and nerves differ between male and female mice.
-
Prenyltransferase inhibitor as a new therapy for inflammatory neuropathy
A new drug candidate called FGTI-2734 is being studied to calm nerve inflammation in conditions like AIDP/Guillain-Barré syndrome, with the goal of protecting nerves and reducing symptoms.
-
KCTD11-related CMT neuropathy: uncovering how it damages nerves
We are studying a genetic form of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease to understand what goes wrong in nerves and support future treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.