# Modulators for Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $494,769

## Abstract

Summary
The leading cause of blindness in Americans over the age of 60 is glaucoma. One risk factor for glaucoma is
central corneal thickness. The thinner the cornea, the greater the risk of developing glaucoma. Recently, we
have identified a transcription factor, POU6F2, that modulates central corneal thickness in the mouse and that
is a risk factor for human glaucoma. The Pou6f2 knockout mouse has a thinner cornea than its wild-type
littermates, while there is no apparent change in intraocular pressure. We propose that POU6F2 is expressed in
novel subclasses of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that are sensitive to glaucomatous injury. Premise: Our four
findings lead us to hypothesize that POU6F2 is in a transcriptional cascade responsible for the susceptibility and
early death of a novel collection of ON-OFF directionally selective RGC subtypes. To test this hypothesis, we
will focus on the role of POU6F2 in the response of RGCs in models of experimentally-induced and naturally-
occurring glaucoma. The proposed experiments will uncover the POU6F2 molecular cascade that induces
glaucomatous damage. We will relate our findings in the mouse to the human, through a collaboration with Dr.
Janey Wiggs and the NEIGHBORHOOD consortium, interrogating the NEIGHBORHOOD meta-dataset to define
molecular pathway associated with POU6F2 targets. We will determine if any of these downstream targets and
their associated pathways represent factors for glaucoma risk. This basic understanding of the molecular
interactions of POU6F2 will inform the rational design of strategies to improve detection of and therapy for
glaucoma.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10121784
- **Project number:** 1R01EY031042-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ELDON E GEISERT
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $494,769
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10121784

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10121784, Modulators for Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury (1R01EY031042-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10121784. Licensed CC0.

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