# Epigenomic mechanisms regulating RGC survival and axon regeneration

> **NIH NIH K99** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2022 · $101,698

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The proposed study is a five-year career development research plan that focuses on dissecting the epigenetic
regulation of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration and regeneration in mouse models of optic nerve crush
and glaucoma. The candidate is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at
Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The candidate intends to further extend his expertise
in epigenomic profiling technologies, mechanisms of optic neuropathies and development of neural regenerative
therapeutics by integrating the mentor team of Dr. Zhigang He at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Dr. Joshua Sanes at Harvard University and Harvard Brain Science Initiative, Dr. Jeffery Goldberg at
Stanford University and Byers Eye Institute, and Dr. Jason Buenrostro at Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative
Biology (SCRB) Department and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The candidate has also recruited Dr. Daniel
Geschwind, a collaborator of his current and proposed studies, as his advisor for specific scientific and technical
support. The proposed experiments and training activities will enable the candidate to publish top-tier
ophthalmology research works and uniquely position him as an independent principal investigator pursuing novel
therapeutics for retinal disease such as glaucoma.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States with at least 3,000,000 people affected.
This number is likely to increase by 60% by 2030 if no new therapeutics could be developped. Due to the inablity
of central nervous system to regenerate after injury, the vision loss resulted from RGC death is irreversible and
will lead to permanent blindness. Our preliminary experiments using the CRISPR/Cas9-based in vivo forward
genetic screen have discovered that the knockdown of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) could robustly promote
axonal regeneration of RGCs while do not increase overall RGC survival, and that the knockdown of structure
specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1) significantly protected RGC survival without facilitating axon regeneration.
To explore the underlying epigenetic mechanisms regulating RGC survival and regeneration, the proposed study
will specifically pursue the following aims: (1) To profile injury-induced chromatin remodeling in RGCs by ATAC
sequencing (mentored phase); (2) To assess the mechanisms that mediate differential effects of CTCF and
SSRP1 upon injury (mentored and independent phase); and (3) To assess the mechanisms and effects of
epigenetic regulators in a glaucoma model (independent phase). The outcome of the proposed study will provide
in-depth and quantitative insights into why and how the regenerative fates of RGCs are pre-determined from an
epigenomic perspective, which can be directly transformed to new cures for optic neuropathies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318187
- **Project number:** 5K99EY032181-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Feng Tian
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $101,698
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2023-03-27

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318187

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318187, Epigenomic mechanisms regulating RGC survival and axon regeneration (5K99EY032181-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318187. Licensed CC0.

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