NIH Funding Success in 2024

PI: Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD
Project Title: Morphologic and Functional Assessment of Field-Potentiated Optic Nerve Regeneration
Grant Number: R01EY035715
Description: Current neuro-protective and neuro-regenerative strategies to restore vision to the over 64 million people worldwide who are legally blind from diseases that damage the optic nerve are successful at promoting survival of damaged retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and promoting long distance RGC axon regeneration but are lacking in cues to guide axons towards appropriate targets in the brain. We have shown that exogenously applied electric fields (EFs) not only promote RGC axon growth but appear to also be able to control the direction of axon growth. In this project, Dr. Gokoffski and her research team propose to develop EF application into a technology that will synergize that with current strategies for optic nerve regeneration by providing directional cues for regenerating axons, leading to more targeted growth and increased recovery of visual function.

PI: Gianluca Lazzi, PhD, MBA
Project Title: Mesoscale correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) computational pathoconnectomes of degenerated retinas
Grant Number: R01EY035527
Description: To this date, we are still uncovering the exact morphological and functional changes that retina cells undergo throughout retinal degenerative disease time course. Furthermore, as common to many neurodegenerative diseases, our knowledge is incomplete when it comes to understanding how these morphological changes to cells affects their role in neural networks, as well as the factors that impact these changes in connectivity. With this proposal, Dr. Lazzi and his research team will take what we have learned from multiscale computational modeling of extracted early data from patho-connectomes, or connectomics volumes constructed from early degeneration stages pathological or neurally degenerating tissues and pursue large scale network creation and modeling for all four stages of retinal degeneration. These models will be integrated in our parallel multiscale Admittance Method (AM)-NEURON computational platform, which integrates modeling of exogenous electric field application with neural activity of complex networks to provide insights into the physiological consequences of morphological changes on retinal signaling.

PI: Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD
Project Title: Extracellular vesicle-based intraocular therapy combined with active targeting of ocular neovascularization
Grant Number: R01EY034193
Description: The proposed research focuses on developing a new treatment strategy, an extracellular vesicle (exosome)-based novel intraocular drug delivery system providing active targeting of ocular neovascularization, capacity to deliver multiple drugs, and sustained efficacy to treat neovascular age- related macular degeneration (NVAMD), a leading cause of blindness in people older than 60 and a major increase in healthcare cost. Development of these strategies has great potential to upgrade the therapeutic efficacy, and to reduce the treatment burden by shifting the paradigm in ocular drug delivery from current passive targeting directed monotherapy to active targeting-directed multi-drug delivery with sustained efficacy for the treatment of NVAMD as well as other posterior eye diseases.

PI: Benjamin Xu, MD, PhD
Project Title: Clinical Evaluation and Risk Stratification of Angle Closure Disease Using Quantitative OCT
Grant Number: R01EY035677
Description: Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), a leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide, is more visually damaging but also more preventable than other common types of glaucoma. Gonioscopy, the current clinical standard for detecting patients at risk for PACG, is ineffective and inconvenient for doctors to use, which contributes to poorly defined practice guidelines, delayed disease detection and treatment, and high prevalence of blindness. Dr. Xu proposes to establish anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT), a convenient and precise form of ocular imaging, as the new clinical standard to detect and evaluate individuals at risk for PACG and reduce PACG- related vision loss.

PI: Qifa Zhou, PhD
Project Title: Sonogenetic Restoration of Vision for Retinitis Pigmentosa
Grant Number: U01EY035026
Description: Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) often results in legal blindness and is caused by more than 100 genetic mutations, making its development challenging to address all causes with gene therapy. Dr. Zhou and his research team have screened and engineered mechanosensitive channels (EMC) from different microbial species, which upon expression in mammalian cells and retina, allows sonogenetic stimulation by ultrasound with intensity orders of magnitude lower than that required without EMC sensitization. Their sonogenetic stimulation-based approach will provide an alternative therapeutic modality to restore visual function in the degenerated retina.

PI: Hsiao-Chuan Liu, PhD
Project Title: Development of two-dimensional (2D) acoustic force elastography microscopy for the non-contact measurement of elastic property of cell encapsulated scaffolds
Grant Number: R21GM154167
Description: An ideal engineered biomedical hydrogel should have elastic properties that match well with the native tissue that it is being integrated. Conventional mechanical testing methods have many limitations such as being destructive measurements. In this proposal, Dr. Liu will develop a new technique named two-dimensional acoustic force elastography microscopy (2D-AFEM) for characterizing elastic property of cell encapsulated scaffolds in various biomedical and tissue engineering applications.

PI: Liya Xu, PhD
Project Title: Development of a Novel Aqueous Humor-Based Clinical Test for Uveal Melanoma Metastatic Risk Prediction
Grant Number: R41CA291243
Description: Dr. Xu’s research team aims to create a safer method for predicting uveal melanoma metastatic risk. Instead of invasive biopsies, they will use routine aqueous humor paracentesis, ensuring safety and accuracy. Analyzing ocular fluid proteins, they aim to develop a precise test for accurate metastasis risk assessment, enhancing treatment decisions and patient care.