Targeted eye medicine to protect vision in glaucoma and steroid-induced glaucoma
Official title: Selective Inhibition of GRP 94 to Treat Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma
Funded at University of Notre Dame · NIH-11370682 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new eyedrop medicine that blocks a protein (Grp94) to improve fluid drainage in the eye and lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Notre Dame NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Notre Dame, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $591,767 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036107-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370682 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with glaucoma or steroid-induced glaucoma who have high eye pressure and would benefit from a topical treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-glaucoma eye conditions or who cannot use eye drops may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant aims to optimize and understand a Grp94 inhibitor that helps reduce harmful protein clumping in eye cells, with the goal of lowering intraocular pressure. Researchers will test lead compounds in the lab and in animal models, then study how they work and how to best apply them as a topical eye drop. The work is designed to build a path toward a safe, effective treatment that could slow or stop vision loss from glaucoma and related conditions. If successful, this research could move toward early clinical testing to help patients in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with glaucoma could benefit from an eye drop that lowers eye pressure and protects vision.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work showed that Grp94 inhibitors reduce protein clumping and lower eye pressure in models, supporting this approach, though human data are not yet available.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blagg, Brian S J — University of Notre Dame
- Study coordinator: Blagg, Brian S J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Repairing the eye's drainage support to lower pressure in steroid-related and open-angle glaucoma
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.
-
New Treatments for Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma
This project is working to find new eye drop treatments for glaucoma by targeting a specific protein that causes pressure buildup in the eye.
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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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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.
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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.
-
Genomics of eye pressure and glaucoma risk
This NIH grant funds a short-term study to understand the genetic and cellular reasons behind high eye pressure and glaucoma, with potential to inform future treatments for people at risk.
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.