How mitochondria affect retinal blood vessel health
Official title: Investigating the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of retinal vascular diseases
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11143745 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether problems in mitochondria change how blood vessels grow in the retina, which matters to people with conditions like diabetic retinopathy or other retinal blood-vessel diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $418,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY033333-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143745 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with retinal vascular conditions like diabetic retinopathy, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, or other disorders of retinal blood-vessel growth could be future candidates for related clinical studies or trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without retinal blood-vessel disease or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct benefit from this primarily lab- and animal-focused research.
What this research studies
The team uses lab-grown blood-vessel cells in 3D assays and genetically modified mice to see how altering specific mitochondrial proteins changes vessel sprouting and growth in the retina. They delete or silence genes (TFAM, COX10, TRX2) that control mitochondrial function and observe effects on vessel formation, arterial changes, and small aneurysms. Experiments measure cell proliferation, vessel penetration into retinal layers, and structural changes over early and later developmental time points. Findings aim to link mitochondrial health to the abnormal blood-vessel growth seen in human retinal diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets for preventing or treating abnormal retinal blood-vessel growth in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and animal studies, including early work from this group, have shown that changing mitochondrial proteins alters retinal vessel growth, but translating these findings into human treatments remains preliminary.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhou, Jenny Huanjiao — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Zhou, Jenny Huanjiao
Related research
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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.