# Correlations of structure and function in regenerating corneal nerves

> **NIH NIH F30** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2021 · $51,036

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY
Corneal nerves create the densest sensory network in the body and provide trophic support to the corneal
epithelium. Three types of modalities constitute the overall corneal nerve population and convey discrete
sensations by responding to various stimulations of the corneal surface. Damage to the cornea is common and
can be the consequence of diverse causes, ranging from surgical interventions to metabolic disorders. Although
corneal nerves are able to regrow after injury, their structural integrity is frequently disrupted and associated with
prolonged changes in sensation, pain, and poor epithelial healing. The specific functional recovery of the three
nerve subtypes after injury is still largely unknown, thus limiting both predictions of patient treatment outcomes
and design of effective therapeutics. The first objective of this proposal is to investigate the structural and
functional changes in the corneal nerve modalities after regeneration from acute corneal injury. This will
be achieved by combining in vivo extracellular electrophysiology, a highly sensitive technique that records the
electrical activity of a single neuron, with nerve imaging, immunohistochemical, and molecular techniques.
Proposed therapeutics for corneal nerve injuries have been shown to promote faster and more extensive growth
of nerves both in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about these treatments’ functional consequences on
neuronal activity. Effective therapeutics for nerve injury must ensure regeneration of full neural functionality,
maintaining proper thresholds for irritant detection while avoiding painful misfiring. VEGF, an endogenous
molecule expressed in the cornea post injury, is a candidate therapeutic for corneal injuries. Although it has been
shown to have pro-neural effects when supplemented in animal models after corneal damage, the functional
outcomes of VEGF application have not been characterized. The second objective of this proposal will use
electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, imaging, and molecular techniques to investigate the structural
and functional consequences of treatment with VEGF on the recovery of corneal nerves subtypes.
Overall, this study will elucidate the functionality of the regenerated corneal nerve subtypes and will be
the first to test the functional impacts of VEGF as a potential therapy for corneal nerve repair.
This project will be conducted by an MD/PhD student at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), Chicago’s major
public research university, within the top-ranked Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. It will be
unique in its assessment of both structural and functional consequences of neuronal regeneration by combining
classical molecular methods with a sensitive technique for corneal nerve activity. The training objectives of this
project are designed to develop the career of a budding physician-scientist interested in the topic of neural
regeneration in ophthalmol...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10146205
- **Project number:** 5F30EY029578-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Evguenia Ivakhnitskaia
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $51,036
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10146205

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10146205, Correlations of structure and function in regenerating corneal nerves (5F30EY029578-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10146205. Licensed CC0.

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