How immune responses cause long-term eye damage after nitrogen mustard exposure
Official title: Immune Mechanisms of Chronic Ocular Damage after Acute Exposure to Nitrogen Mustard
Funded at Schepens Eye Research Institute · NIH-11422169 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how immune cells lead to lasting cornea injury after sudden nitrogen mustard exposure to help people with mustard gas–related eye damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Schepens Eye Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $196,998 |
| NIH project number | 3R01EY035215-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422169 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who were exposed to sulfur or nitrogen mustard and now have chronic corneal problems, scarring, or vision impairment are the most relevant population.
✕Less likely to help
People with unrelated eye conditions or without any history of mustard-agent exposure are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you have long-term cornea damage after mustard exposure, this work looks at what the immune system is doing in the eye. The team uses a laboratory mouse model that shows the same chronic corneal wounds, stem cell loss, nerve injury, and clouding seen in people. They examine immune cells in the cornea with a special focus on Th17-type inflammation and how it may drive ongoing damage. The goal is to find immune signals that could point to targeted treatments to prevent or reduce mustard gas keratopathy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to immune-based targets that lead to treatments preventing or reducing chronic mustard-related corneal damage and vision loss.
How similar studies have gone: Immune-driven (Th17) mechanisms have been linked to chronic lung injury after mustard exposure, but applying this approach to mustard gas keratopathy of the eye is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Schepens Eye Research Institute
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Yihe — Schepens Eye Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Chen, Yihe
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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.