How the protein CDCP1 helps harmful immune cells enter the eye in autoimmune uveitis
Official title: Role of CDCP1 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune uveitis
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11132897 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether blocking a protein called CDCP1 can stop damaging immune cells from crossing into the eye in people with autoimmune uveitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $504,011 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034077-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132897 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with autoimmune uveitis, especially those with active T-cell–driven retinal inflammation, would be the likely future candidates for therapies targeting CDCP1.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose vision loss is due to non-immune causes or who already have irreversible retinal damage may not benefit from CDCP1-targeted approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers are using mouse models of autoimmune uveitis and laboratory retinal cells to see how CDCP1 on retinal pigment epithelial cells helps T cells cross the blood–retina barrier. They will examine interactions between CDCP1 and T-cell markers (CD6 and CD71), track changes in cell shape and barrier function, and measure inflammatory signals like IL-6. The team uses CDCP1 knockout mice and specialized molecular tools to trace how T cells infiltrate both the outer and inner retinal barriers. Results are intended to show whether blocking CDCP1 could become a strategy to prevent immune-driven eye damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that block CDCP1 to prevent or reduce vision loss from autoimmune uveitis.
How similar studies have gone: Early preclinical work by the investigators showed that CDCP1 knockout mice are protected from experimental autoimmune uveitis, so the approach builds on promising animal data but has not yet been tested in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Feng C — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Lin, Feng C
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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.