Immune system links to nerve damage in glaucoma
Official title: Innate and Adaptive Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Glaucoma
Funded at Schepens Eye Research Institute · NIH-11187139 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether immune cells and stress signals cause the nerve damage that leads to glaucoma, aiming to protect vision in people with glaucoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Schepens Eye Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $610,152 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY031696-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187139 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with glaucoma—particularly those whose disease keeps progressing despite pressure-lowering treatments or who have early optic nerve damage—are most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without glaucoma or those with longstanding, end-stage vision loss are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
As someone with glaucoma, you would hear that researchers are exploring how pressure-related stress in the eye activates local immune cells (microglia) and T cells that may harm retinal nerve cells and their axons. The team uses mouse models, including germ-free mice, to track heat shock proteins and specific T cell responses tied to nerve loss. They measure retinal ganglion cell survival, axon damage, immune activation, and molecular signals that connect eye stress to degeneration. This work aims to identify signals that could be blocked or modified to prevent vision loss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to immune-based treatments that prevent or slow vision loss from glaucoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies, including earlier work by these investigators, have shown immune involvement in glaucoma, but turning those findings into safe, effective human therapies is still novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Schepens Eye Research Institute
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Dong Feng — Schepens Eye Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Chen, Dong Feng
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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.