How corneal surface damage affects eye nerves and pain
Effects of cornea epithelial barrier disruption on the cornea trigeminal neural circuit
This project maps how damage to the corneal surface can trigger nerve signals that cause discomfort and may change nerve structure in people with dry eye or corneal injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167714 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers will look at the cells and genes in the cornea and the nerves that connect the eye to the brain to understand why surface damage causes pain and nerve loss. They will compare normal tissue with tissue exposed to dry eye conditions and with tissue after deliberate corneal surface injury. The team will use single-cell gene and epigenetic profiling plus spatial methods to build detailed cell atlases showing which cells and nerves talk to each other. Those maps will be linked to changes in nerve shape and sensitivity to find molecules that keep corneal nerves healthy or drive painful changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with dry eye disease, recent corneal epithelial injury, or patients undergoing corneal procedures who can provide clinical data or tissue samples would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People whose conditions do not involve corneal surface damage or who have unrelated systemic neuropathies are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new biological targets to prevent or treat corneal pain and nerve loss in dry eye and after corneal injury.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown corneal nerve changes in dry eye and single-cell methods have successfully mapped other tissues, but applying integrated single-cell and spatial profiling to the cornea–trigeminal circuit is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pflugfelder, Stephen C — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Pflugfelder, Stephen C
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 below.