Investigating how optic nerve injuries affect retinal cell responses
Official title: Measuring retinal ganglion cell spike responses in the intact perfused eye following optic nerve injury
Funded at Northwestern University at Chicago · NIH-11075894 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain eye cells behave after an injury to the optic nerve, which can cause vision loss, and it aims to find new ways to help restore sight by understanding these changes better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $178,650 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY036157-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11075894 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals experiencing vision loss due to optic nerve injuries or related conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with vision loss not related to optic nerve injuries may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding the early changes in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following optic nerve injuries, which can lead to irreversible vision loss. By developing a new method to study the intact mouse eye and its blood supply, researchers will use advanced techniques to measure the electrical responses of RGCs after injury. The study aims to identify how these cells function over time after the optic nerve is cut, which could provide insights into potential treatments for vision restoration. This work is crucial for improving diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for restoring vision in patients with optic nerve injuries.
How similar studies have gone: While optic nerve regeneration is a major research area, this specific approach to studying early RGC dysfunction is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwartz, Gregory William — Northwestern University at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Schwartz, Gregory William
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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.