How the FOXE3 gene controls eye lens development
Official title: Utilizing the Chicken Embryo to Decode the Transcriptional Regulation of FOXE3
Funded at Miami University Oxford · NIH-11261147 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use chick embryos to map the DNA switches that turn the FOXE3 gene on in the eye lens to help people born with missing or small lenses (aphakia or microphthalmia).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Miami University Oxford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oxford, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $178,102 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY036999-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261147 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with congenital lens disorders (aphakia or microphthalmia) or families with known FOXE3 gene changes would be the most relevant patient group.
✕Less likely to help
People with common age-related cataracts or unrelated eye conditions are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
This project uses the chick embryo's simple, well-mapped lens to find the DNA control elements that tell the FOXE3 gene when and where to turn on. Scientists will combine genome-wide sequencing to identify candidate regulatory elements with functional tests in embryos to see which sequences are required for FOXE3 expression. They will compare these results to prior mouse data to build a regulatory "grammar" for how FOXE3 is controlled during lens development. The work is laboratory-based and uses animal embryos rather than enrolling patients directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve genetic diagnosis and point to targets for future therapies for congenital lens disorders like aphakia and microphthalmia.
How similar studies have gone: Genome-wide mapping and chick embryo functional tests have identified regulatory elements for other eye genes, but functionally decoding FOXE3 in vivo is a newer application of these methods.
Where this research is happening
-
Miami University Oxford
Oxford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Robinson, Michael L — Miami University Oxford
- Study coordinator: Robinson, Michael L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice and Nursing Home Quality
This grant looks at how nurse practitioner regulatory rules affect staffing in nursing homes and the care residents receive.
-
How X chromosome differences may influence alcohol drinking in mice
This project looks at how sex chromosomes, especially the X chromosome, might affect alcohol drinking behavior and related brain signals in mice, with the goal of informing human understanding and future therapies.
-
ApoA4 and sympathetic signals to improve fat metabolism in obesity
A researcher team will study how apolipoprotein A4 (APOA4) affects fat tissue and liver metabolism through the body’s sympathetic nervous system, with a focus on adults with obesity.
-
Understanding how the Grp94 protein helps keep cells healthy and how to target it safely
Researchers are studying the Grp94 protein to learn how it helps proteins fold correctly in cells, with implications for diabetes, cancer, heart, and brain diseases.
-
Roadmap to unlock RPE plasticity for retinal regeneration
A research project aims to understand how retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can be reprogrammed to become neural retina, with the goal of helping people with degenerative retinal diseases.
-
Understanding how newt iris cells can become lens tissue to guide eye healing
Scientists are studying how a special kind of salamander-like newt can repair its eye lens by reprogramming iris cells, in the hope of finding new ways to treat human eye diseases.
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.