Once-weekly gel-forming eye drops to protect vision in glaucoma
Topical drug delivery formulations for neuroprotection in glaucoma
This project develops once-weekly gel-forming eye drops with drugs that could help people with glaucoma protect retinal nerve cells and slow vision loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11336798 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have glaucoma, researchers are working on eye drops that turn into a gel on the eye and deliver neuroprotective drugs to the back of the eye. They screened over 10,000 compounds on retinal ganglion cells in the lab and found promising candidates, including an already FDA-approved drug for another use. The team studied how these drugs enter eye cells and bind to melanin, and tested the gel drops in large animals (rabbits, pigs) where once-weekly dosing protected retinal cells. Now they are screening more drugs for melanin binding, cell uptake, and eye penetration to find the best combinations for future human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with glaucoma who continue to lose retinal nerve cells or vision despite treatments that lower intraocular pressure.
Not a fit: People without glaucoma or whose vision loss is caused by conditions other than retinal ganglion cell loss are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drops could add a treatment that protects retinal ganglion cells and help slow or prevent vision loss in people with glaucoma.
How similar studies have performed: Previous neuroprotection strategies for glaucoma have had mixed results, so the combination of gel-forming delivery and melanin-binding drugs is promising but relatively novel and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ensign, Laura — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Ensign, Laura
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.