Nanoparticles that target the eye's drainage cells (Schlemm's canal)
A Nanocarrier Platform for Targeting Schlemm's Canal Cells
Developing tiny drug carriers to deliver glaucoma treatments directly to the eye's drainage cells to help people lower intraocular pressure with fewer side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145901 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is designing nanoscale carriers that can home in on Schlemm's canal endothelial cells, which help drain fluid from the eye and control pressure. The team plans to load these carriers with drugs or gene-delivery tools and test ways to release them over time so patients would not need frequent eye injections. Work will include lab and animal experiments to measure effects on cell stiffness, eye pressure, and local side effects compared with current medicines. The goal is treatments that are more potent at the drainage site while reducing redness, corneal changes, and dosing frequency.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension who need better control of intraocular pressure or who cannot tolerate current eye-pressure medicines may be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without glaucoma or whose eye-pressure problems are due to causes unrelated to Schlemm's canal dysfunction are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lower eye pressure more precisely with fewer side effects and less frequent dosing compared with some current glaucoma medicines.
How similar studies have performed: Drugs that relax drainage cells (like Rho kinase inhibitors) have lowered eye pressure in animals and humans, but targeted nanocarrier delivery to Schlemm's canal and sustained non-injection delivery methods remain largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Mark — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Mark
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 below.