# Retinal cell elimination by microglia

> **NIH NIH R21** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2021 · $184,906

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Microglia, the resident neuroimmune cells of the CNS, play important developmental roles. During embryonic
development we showed that retinal microglia target a subset of viable newborn retinal ganglion cells (RGCs)
for phagocytic elimination through a process that requires complement signaling. The embryonic retina is a
simple system to address how microglia target non-apoptotic cells for phagocytosis, with important implications
for the role of microglia in cell loss during injury and disease. To understand the mechanisms of retinal cell
elimination, the first aim will address the role of complement expression and stress pathways in RGCs. The
second aim will test specific microglial recognition pathways required for phagocytic retinal cell elimination,
including RGCs and astrocytes. This study will shed light on how microglia influence developmental
remodeling in the retina, and may ultimately inform our understanding of how microglia participate in retinal
disease processes resulting in loss of vision.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224941
- **Project number:** 5R21EY031096-02
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Monica L Vetter
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $184,906
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224941

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224941, Retinal cell elimination by microglia (5R21EY031096-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224941. Licensed CC0.

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