How immune cells cause eye scarring and severe dry eye after bone marrow transplant
Official title: Role of Macrophages in ocular GVHD
Funded at Chapman University · NIH-11240266 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a type of immune cell called a macrophage leads to scarring, loss of tear-producing cells, and severe dry eye in people who develop ocular graft‑versus‑host disease after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Chapman University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orange, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $342,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034672-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11240266 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The findings would be most relevant to people who have or are at risk for ocular graft‑versus‑host disease following an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
✕Less likely to help
People with dry eye from causes unrelated to GVHD or those who have not had a bone marrow transplant are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific project.
What this research studies
From my point of view as a patient, researchers will use two mouse models that recreate the eye problems seen after donor bone marrow transplant to study ocular graft‑versus‑host disease. They will track both host and donor macrophages to see how these immune cells change and interact with other eye cells like fibroblasts and goblet cells. The team will test whether radiation, activation of host macrophages, and incoming donor macrophages start or worsen eye injury and whether macrophage signals force other cells to become scar‑making cells. The ultimate aim is to find immune mechanisms that could be stopped or reversed to protect the ocular surface and tears.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to prevent or treat scarring and severe dry eye in patients with ocular GVHD after bone marrow transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies support an immune role in transplant‑related eye damage, but focusing on macrophage‑driven scarring and goblet cell loss is a relatively new and developing approach.
Where this research is happening
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Chapman University
Orange, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sharma, Ajay — Chapman University
- Study coordinator: Sharma, Ajay
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.