How Pseudomonas bacteria disable the cornea's cell defenses
Official title: Inflammasome-mediated corneal epithelial cell defenses inhibited by pathogenic bacteria
Funded at Loyola University Chicago · NIH-11320743 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how Pseudomonas bacteria hide inside corneal cells and shut down local defenses, which could help people with contact lens–related eye infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Loyola University Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Maywood, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $377,305 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034239-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320743 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people with contact lens–associated Pseudomonas corneal infections or those willing to donate corneal tissue or clinical samples to the research team.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-bacterial or viral corneal diseases, or those whose vision loss is already due to long-standing scarring, may not benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use lab-grown human corneal cells and mouse models to see how Pseudomonas aeruginosa invades and survives inside corneal epithelial cells. They will focus on a bacterial toxin called ExoS that appears to block a cell alarm system (the inflammasome) and stop infected cells from undergoing a defensive cell death that releases IL-1β. The team will use CRISPR gene editing and molecular tests to turn specific genes on or off and identify which host pathways control these defenses. The goal is to find ways to restore the cornea's natural cell defenses or block the bacterial toxin to prevent deeper infection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments or prevention strategies that stop Pseudomonas from hiding in corneal cells and reduce contact lens–related, vision‑threatening infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous cell-culture and mouse studies have shown Pseudomonas can invade corneal cells and that ExoS affects cell death and IL-1β, but translating these findings into patient treatments is still new.
Where this research is happening
-
Loyola University Chicago
Maywood, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kroken, Abby R — Loyola University Chicago
- Study coordinator: Kroken, Abby R
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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.