How the immune protein RIG-I may cause glaucoma and change eye responses to viruses
Official title: Defining the role of RIG-I in glaucoma pathogenesis and response to viral infection
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11372147 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether changes in the immune protein RIG-I cause early glaucoma and make the eye respond worse to viral infections in people with inherited forms of glaucoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $580,496 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY037225-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372147 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with early-onset (juvenile) glaucoma, a family history of similar glaucoma, or known RIG-I (DDX58) gene variants are the best fit for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose glaucoma is not linked to RIG-I or immune-driven damage—such as typical age-related open-angle glaucoma—are unlikely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
If you or your family carry a RIG-I gene change linked to early glaucoma, researchers will study how that change damages the eye using mice and cells from patients. They will alter genes in mice, examine eye tissues under the microscope, and read which genes turn on in individual eye cells. They will also test whether viral infections like Zika make the eye damage worse. Finally, they will try medicines in patient cells and mouse models to see if blocking RIG-I–driven inflammation can prevent vision loss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that block harmful RIG-I immune signaling and help prevent or slow vision loss in people with RIG-I–related glaucoma.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory and mouse model studies by the team already show RIG-I variants can raise eye pressure and kill retinal ganglion cells, but treatments based on this approach have not yet been proven in people.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Prasov, Lev — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Prasov, Lev
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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.