Innate immune control of abnormal retinal blood vessel growth
Official title: Innate immunomodulation of retinal neovascularization
Funded at Tufts Medical Center · NIH-11418432 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new NIH grant looks at how the body's own immune signals drive or restrain abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina, a key factor in vision loss from conditions like retinopathy of prematurity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $445,464 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036414-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418432 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Parents and patients affected by retinopathy of prematurity or other proliferative retinal diseases could benefit from future therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with retinal conditions not driven by ischemia or immune signaling may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to map the immune and cellular signals that cause or stop abnormal eye blood vessel growth in diseases that threaten sight. Researchers at Tufts Medical Center will study how immune cells and signaling molecules influence retinal vessels during ischemic, or low-oxygen, conditions. The goal is to identify targets for therapies that prevent or reverse vision-threatening neovascularization without harming normal retinal development. The work builds on early findings suggesting immune signals play a pivotal role in pathological vessel formation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent retinal scarring and vision loss in infants and others at risk from proliferative retinopathies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that immune signaling can influence retinal vessel growth, but this project aims to define precise mechanisms for potential therapies.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gnanaguru, Gopalan — Tufts Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Gnanaguru, Gopalan
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.