Understanding how sudden eye pressure changes affect the optic nerve in living human eyes
Official title: The mechanotranscriptome of the optic nerve head following acute experimental ocular hypertension in living human eyes
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11099664 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant tests how acute increases in eye pressure deform the optic nerve head in living human eyes to understand how this stress might lead to vision loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $523,711 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY035053-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11099664 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have glaucoma risk or eye conditions that involve pressure changes, and who consented to research using their eyes after death for ex vivo study.
✕Less likely to help
This particular study uses eyes from brain-dead donors and may not provide direct benefits to living patients in the short term.
What this research studies
The study uses eyes from brain-dead donors who were consented for research and analyzes them after removal to see how a quick rise in eye pressure changes the optic nerve head. It focuses on the lamina cribrosa and surrounding tissues to identify mechanosensitive pathways that could drive harmful remodeling. By combining in vivo access with ex vivo analysis, researchers aim to connect physical deformation with cellular responses that could damage retinal ganglion cells. The goal is to uncover mechanisms that might be targeted to protect vision in glaucoma when pressure is elevated. This is an early step toward translating animal model findings to human biology and informing future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A clearer picture of how sudden eye pressure changes harm the optic nerve could guide new treatments to prevent vision loss in glaucoma.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier animal studies showed pressure-related changes in the optic nerve; this project translates those ideas to human tissue with direct relevance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Girkin, Christopher Anthony — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Girkin, Christopher Anthony
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeted eye medicine to protect vision in glaucoma and steroid-induced glaucoma
A new eyedrop medicine that blocks a protein (Grp94) to improve fluid drainage in the eye and lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients.
-
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.
-
How sudden eye pressure affects the optic nerve head
This project measures how a sudden rise in eye pressure changes cells and tissues at the back of the eye to help people with glaucoma.
-
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.
-
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.
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.