How optic nerve support cells respond to pressure in glaucoma
Official title: Optic nerve head astrocyte sensitivity to glaucomatous insult
Funded at Upstate Medical University · NIH-11291856 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether brief pressure strains make the optic nerve's support cells more likely to drive damage in people with glaucoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Upstate Medical University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Syracuse, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $389,995 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036880-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11291856 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal contributors would be people with glaucoma or eye donors willing to provide optic nerve head tissue or clinical eye samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without glaucoma or those seeking an immediate treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers are using a lab-grown 3D tissue system, genetically modified animals, and donated human optic nerve tissue to see how pressure-related strains change astrocyte behavior at the optic nerve head. In the lab they apply controlled biomechanical strains in hydrogels, study mice with altered Piezo1 function, and examine ex vivo donor tissue to connect findings to human eyes. The team focuses on changes in cell shape and mitochondrial (energy) pathways that could make nerves more vulnerable. Understanding these steps may explain why some people's optic nerves are more sensitive to raised eye pressure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect optic nerve cells or new drug targets to prevent glaucoma-related vision loss.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab studies, including the team's preliminary work, support Piezo1 as a mechanosensor and show similar astrocyte changes in vitro, though therapies based on this are not yet available.
Where this research is happening
-
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ganapathy, Preethi — Upstate Medical University
- Study coordinator: Ganapathy, Preethi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How the left-right body axis forms during early development
This project explores how the left-right body axis is set up in early embryos, aiming to understand and prevent birth defects related to organ placement.
-
Unraveling how Ribosome Production Is Regulated in Human Cells
This grant explores how the enzyme that makes ribosomal RNA is put together and controlled, with potential connections to cancer and Treacher Collins Syndrome.
-
Defining immune markers predicting protection against dengue in a long-term family study in Thailand
This grant looks at how antibodies develop to protect against dengue in children from a long-running family cohort in Thailand, with the goal of identifying immune signs that predict protection across multiple dengue serotypes.
-
Understanding dengue protection in children from a long-term Thai family cohort
A long-term study in Thailand follows families to understand how early exposures to dengue shape protection and illness risk for children as they encounter the virus over time.
-
SLE treatment with N-acetylcysteine for lupus patients
This project tests whether N-acetylcysteine, a safe supplement, can help people with systemic lupus erythematosus by supporting the body's natural defenses and reducing disease activity.
-
Synaptopathy and CYLD in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
A new NIH-funded project will look at how CYLD gene changes contribute to synapse problems in people with frontotemporal dementia.
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.