How sudden eye pressure affects the optic nerve head
Official title: The mechanotranscriptome of the optic nerve head following acute experimental ocular hypertension in living human eyes
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11307283 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project measures how a sudden rise in eye pressure changes cells and tissues at the back of the eye to help people with glaucoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $524,518 |
| NIH project number | 7R01EY035053-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307283 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with glaucoma, high intraocular pressure, or at elevated risk for glaucoma who consider research consent for eye donation are most directly connected to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without glaucoma or eye-pressure-related risk are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation in this specific project.
What this research studies
You may hear about this work if researchers study donated human eyes through the Living Eye Project. In donors who have given research consent, the team raises intraocular pressure briefly in the living human eye before organ procurement and then examines the same eyes after removal. They map gene activity and tissue changes in the optic nerve head and surrounding sclera to see how mechanical stress triggers cellular responses. The goal is to connect immediate pressure-driven changes with later tissue remodeling that can damage vision.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal molecular triggers of pressure-related optic nerve damage and point to new ways to protect vision beyond lowering eye pressure.
How similar studies have gone: Animal models have repeatedly shown pressure-driven changes in the optic nerve, but performing these experiments in living human eyes is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Girkin, Christopher Anthony — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Girkin, Christopher Anthony
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Understanding how sudden eye pressure changes affect the optic nerve in living human eyes
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This study is looking at how changes in the eye's structure can raise pressure inside the eye, which is a problem for people with open angle glaucoma, and it’s exploring whether a treatment called tPA can help lower that pressure and improve care for patients.
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.