Nerve causes of pain in the front of the eye
Official title: Central and Peripheral Mechanisms of Corneal Pain
Funded at University of New England · NIH-11167781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project maps the types of cornea nerves and brain circuits that drive ongoing eye pain for people with corneal pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New England NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Biddeford, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,117,237 |
| NIH project number | 5U01EY034709-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167781 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with persistent or chronic corneal/ocular surface pain (for example neuropathic-type eye pain or long-lasting pain after corneal injury) would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
People whose eye problems are purely vision-related (like need for glasses) or who have temporary short-lived corneal irritation are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers will examine the nerve cells that carry sensation from the cornea and see how those cells change after injury. They will profile gene activity in mouse corneal neurons and compare those molecular signatures with human trigeminal ganglion neurons. The team will also trace nerve pathways into the brain, including the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the lateral parabrachial area, and test how those brain circuits contribute to pain behaviors. The work uses molecular profiling, anatomical tracing, and behavior experiments to link peripheral nerve changes to central brain processing of corneal pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets for treatments to relieve chronic corneal pain.
How similar studies have gone: Related molecular and circuit-mapping approaches have clarified pain pathways in other tissues, but combining detailed molecular profiles of corneal neurons with human trigeminal data and lPBN circuit analysis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New England
Biddeford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meng, Ian D — University of New England
- Study coordinator: Meng, Ian D
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.