How long-lived immune cells on the eye surface affect inflammation and pain
Official title: Impact of tissue resident memory T cells on the neuro-immunepathophysiology of anterior eye disease
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11285261 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether long-lived immune cells that live on the eye's surface cause inflammation and chronic pain in people with dry eye and other front-of-eye conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | March 8, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $383,285 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY033712-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285261 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic dry eye or other anterior eye inflammatory conditions who experience persistent ocular pain would be the likely candidates for future trials based on these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose eye problems are caused by non-immune issues, diseases of the back of the eye, or anyone seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
Researchers will create a mouse model that develops ‘human-like’ tissue-resident memory T cells on the front of the eye by exposing animals to a clinically relevant eye pathogen. They will then activate or remove these resident T cells and separately alter pain-sensing nerve cells to see how the two cell types interact during inflammation. The team will measure signs of ocular surface inflammation and nerve activity linked to pain to connect immune cell behavior to persistent eye pain. The goal is to better mimic human immune experience and reveal mechanisms that could be targeted in future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce inflammation and long-lasting eye pain by targeting tissue-resident immune cells.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches are largely untested because standard laboratory mice usually lack these tissue-resident cells, so using pathogen-exposed mice to model human-like TRM is a newer strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Skorput, Alexander — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Skorput, Alexander
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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.