Strengthening the eye's outer layer to slow nearsightedness
Official title: Scleral Remodeling in Myopia
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11285224 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at whether boosting natural strengthening of the eye's outer coat can slow worsening nearsightedness for people with progressive myopia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2016 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $550,326 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY026588-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285224 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future human testing would be people whose myopia is actively getting worse, often children or young adults with progressive nearsightedness.
✕Less likely to help
People whose nearsightedness is stable or whose vision problems are unrelated to scleral remodeling are unlikely to benefit directly from this research now.
What this research studies
Researchers are exploring how the white of the eye (the sclera) becomes softer during myopia and using a close-to-primate animal model, the tree shrew, to test safer ways to stiffen it. They plan to boost the eye's own collagen crosslinking by increasing an enzyme called lysyl oxidase with copper salts, since an earlier chemical (genipin) worked but had side effects. The team also examines signals from the edge of the retina that may trigger scleral changes and compares myopia, farsightedness, and aging effects. The work aims to find approaches that could later be tried in people to slow or stop the eyeball stretching behind worsening nearsightedness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer treatments that slow or stop progressive nearsightedness and lower the risk of serious vision complications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies showed artificial crosslinking (genipin) can slow eye elongation but caused adverse effects, so the copper-driven approach is newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grytz, Rafael — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Grytz, Rafael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Sulfated molecules in the back of the eye and how they shape myopia progression
This grant studies how losing certain building blocks in the eye’s outer layer may affect eye shape and the worsening of nearsightedness in pig eyes to model human disease.
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Understanding how myopia and glaucoma are connected through eye mechanics
This study looks at how eye growth in myopia may influence glaucoma risk and what markers could identify it early.
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Topical eyedrops to slow myopia progression in children
A new eyedrop, IVMED-85, is being studied to help slow down myopia in kids by strengthening the eye’s tissues through a copper-related mechanism.
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Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma for High Myopia
A study to improve early detection of open-angle glaucoma in people with high myopia using advanced eye imaging.
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PICNIC: Factors inside the eye linked to childhood near-sightedness
Researchers are studying how eye structure and vision in young children may predict who will develop myopia, aiming to understand why some kids become nearsighted.
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Peripheral vision factors behind kids’ nearsightedness
A study with children explores how outer-edge eye signals and eye optics affect the worsening of nearsightedness and whether new lenses and tools can help slow or prevent it.
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.