Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation received a $468,875 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2028. This award funds mechanistic investigations into tryptophan catabolites as a therapeutic intervention for vision improvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The research utilizes an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) rodent model to characterize how a ketogenic diet restores visual function and optic nerve integrity in MS-related optic neuritis. The project employs RNA sequencing analysis, untargeted metabolomics, and microbiome analyses to identify the specific indole derivatives—tryptophan catabolism products produced by gut microbiota—that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway to promote vision restoration.

The grant supports comprehensive research services including administration of indole derivatives as stand-alone treatments, evaluation of ketogenic diet efficacy using pharmacological AHR inhibitors and mutant mouse strains, and longitudinal microbiome characterization studies. These research activities are expected to generate empirical findings and preclinical development data that advance understanding of dietary and metabolite-based therapeutic approaches for MS-related vision loss, an important unmet clinical need for people with MS experiencing repeated episodes of optic neuritis that can lead to irreversible vision loss.