This $753,959 Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867) will support research on activity-related mechanisms that drive selective retinal ganglion cell (RGC) resilience and axon regeneration. The project aims to explore how RGC activity levels influence neuroprotection and axon regeneration in response to traumatic and degenerative optic nerve injuries. Specifically, the research will investigate signaling pathways involving the neuropeptides urocortin and corticotropin-releasing hormone, as well as the effects of manipulating RGC activity through neuromodulation. This multidisciplinary study has the potential to uncover generalizable principles for promoting neuronal survival and axon regeneration, which could lead to improved treatments for RGC degeneration and other neurodegenerative conditions. The grant was awarded to Baylor College of Medicine, a leading academic medical center known for its expertise in areas such as neuroscience and genomics.
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