MicroRNAs and corneal healing in healthy and diseased tissues
Official title: The Role of MicroRNAs in Normal and Diseased Corneal Epithelial Homeostasis
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11418884 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-focused study explores how tiny genetic regulators called microRNAs control corneal healing and how this might affect people with corneal diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2015 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $555,402 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY025377-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418884 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with corneal diseases or injuries affecting healing and those at risk of limbal stem cell deficiency or diabetic keratopathy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without corneal disease or recent corneal injury may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how corneal stem cells respond to stress at the single-cell level and how microRNAs steer repair and regeneration. Researchers have already found a role for miR-146a in keeping corneal cells healthy, and this study will map how other microRNAs influence healing in normal and diseased corneas. By understanding these pathways, the work aims to identify new targets for treatments that could improve wound healing and prevent blindness. The findings could guide future therapies that help restore clear vision after injury or disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new therapies that improve corneal healing and reduce the risk of vision loss for patients with corneal diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links microRNAs to corneal healing, with potential for new targets, but this exact single-cell regulatory map is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghiam, Mehrnoosh Saghizadeh — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ghiam, Mehrnoosh Saghizadeh
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.