Repairing the eye's drainage support to lower pressure in steroid-related and open-angle glaucoma
Official title: Elucidating the molecular changes of the outflow pathway extracellular matrix that regulate outflow facility in steroid-induced ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11302646 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work tests whether reversing changes in the support tissue around drainage cells can help lower eye pressure for people with steroid-induced high eye pressure and open-angle glaucoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $627,649 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036983-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302646 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with open-angle glaucoma or steroid-induced elevations in eye pressure, especially those whose high intraocular pressure is linked to trabecular meshwork dysfunction, would be the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with angle-closure glaucoma, eye pressure unrelated to trabecular meshwork dysfunction, or those who cannot undergo potential future treatments targeting the outflow pathway may not benefit.
What this research studies
If I have open-angle glaucoma or pressure from steroid use, the team is studying the meshwork that drains fluid from my eye to see how its scaffold (extracellular matrix) changes and blocks flow. They use lab-grown biomimetic tissue models and animal models to mimic the human drainage tissues and measure how treatments change outflow. The researchers are testing enzymes like tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and molecules that increase matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) to restore normal matrix turnover and fluid exit. The goal is to identify ways to reverse the harmful matrix changes so fluid can drain better and pressure stays lower.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new treatments that restore eye drainage and lower intraocular pressure in people with steroid-induced ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier laboratory and animal studies have shown that tPA and MMP9 can improve outflow and reduce pressure, but translating these findings into human therapies is still experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Danias, John — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Danias, John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how steroid exposure affects eye pressure and glaucoma
This study is looking at how changes in the eye's structure can raise pressure inside the eye, which is a problem for people with open angle glaucoma, and it’s exploring whether a treatment called tPA can help lower that pressure and improve care for patients.
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Targeted eye medicine to protect vision in glaucoma and steroid-induced glaucoma
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Investigating how glucocorticoids affect eye pressure and glaucoma risk
This study is looking at how certain medications for inflammation can raise eye pressure and increase the risk of glaucoma in some people, and it aims to find out if genetics play a role in who might be more affected, so we can help keep those at risk safer.
-
Targeting a specific protein to treat eye pressure and glaucoma
This study is looking at how a protein called Grp94 affects eye pressure and glaucoma, and it aims to find new treatments that could help people with these conditions by reducing harmful protein buildup in the eye.
-
Gene therapy to normalize eye pressure in juvenile glaucoma
A first-in-class gene therapy using a safe viral vector is being explored to normalize eye pressure in children and adults with juvenile open-angle glaucoma.
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.