Finding eye triggers: how eye B cells reveal what drives uveitis
Official title: Leveraging Ocular B cells to identiry antigen triggers in uveitis
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11370375 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH grant will help scientists use B cells from people with uveitis to find the eye-specific antigens that start inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $429,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21EY037994-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370375 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with uveitis or related ocular autoimmune conditions whose B cells can be studied to identify eye antigens.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without uveitis or with contraindications to sample collection may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding what triggers immune-related inflammation in the eye by studying B cells from patients with uveitis. Researchers will create antibodies from patients’ B cells to discover the eye proteins that provoke the disease, aiming to guide future targeted therapies. The study uses human samples and aims to identify specific antigens that could become therapeutic targets. The work is conducted at the University of Colorado Denver under LYNN M. HASSMAN and colleagues. The grant supports a two-year effort to translate these findings into precision approaches for uveitis care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to targeted treatments that interrupt the specific eye antigens driving uveitis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows B cells can reveal antigen targets in autoimmune eye diseases, but this approach is novel for identifying eye-specific drivers in human uveitis.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hassman, Lynn M — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Hassman, Lynn M
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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.