The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $247,700 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to the University of Utah to establish a chimeric mouse model for studying human retinal microglia in vivo. The project aims to introduce human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells into newborn mice and characterize the engraftment and responses of the resulting human xenotransplanted microglia in the mouse retina. Key activities include analyzing the density, distribution, and impact of the human microglia on the host retinal cells and tissue, as well as using single-cell RNA sequencing to define the human microglia transcriptome and responses to optic nerve crush injury. This research is expected to provide critical insights into the properties and in vivo behaviors of human retinal microglia, which could inform the study of retinal injuries, diseases, and neurodegeneration. The project is scheduled to run from February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2027.
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