Cellular and structural changes in childhood nearsightedness
Official title: Novel correlations in cellular, molecular and structural alterations in experimental juvenile myopia
Funded at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center · NIH-11178747 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are linking tiny cell and nerve changes with eye imaging to better understand why children develop worsening nearsightedness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $236,612 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY036560-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178747 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Although this is laboratory research in animals, the results would be most relevant to children and adolescents with progressive nearsightedness and their families.
✕Less likely to help
People without nearsightedness or adults with stable, nonprogressive nearsightedness are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
This project uses a tree shrew animal model to look for immune cell entry, myelin changes, and axonal damage around the optic nerve head in juvenile nearsightedness. The team will use lab techniques like immunohistochemistry and spatial protein profiling (Nanostring) to map microscopic changes. They will then compare those molecular findings with optical coherence tomography (OCT) images to see how small-scale damage lines up with tissue-level eye remodeling. The work aims to connect immune and nerve changes to the eye elongation that drives progressive nearsightedness in children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new targets or strategies to slow or prevent progressive nearsightedness and its long-term vision risks.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked scleral remodeling to eye elongation, but connecting immune cell infiltration and optic nerve myelin changes to myopia is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
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Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chaudhary, Priya — Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center
- Study coordinator: Chaudhary, Priya
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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.