# Assessing the metabolic impact of Lkb1/Snrk signaling on RGC survival

> **NIH NIH F32** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2022 · $67,174

## Abstract

Project Summary
The degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) causes irreversible blindness in millions of people worldwide.
Efforts to develop treatment which target RGCs and prevent their degeneration have been hampered by an
incomplete understanding of this process. A recent screen of ~1000 kinases and phosphatases in our lab has
identified several novel contributors to RGC death after optic nerve injury. A group of these proteins are related
to cellular metabolism, a known contributor to RGC death. This project will explore how these proteins contribute
to metabolic dysfunction within injured RGCs.
The most exciting kinase identified by our screen is Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1). LKB1 is a master kinase that
activates various downstream pathways in other cell types but its function in RGCs is uncharacterized. A very
promising possibility is that LKB1 may be one of the principal modulators of RGC metabolism under stress.
However, as a result of its promiscuous activity, this proposal is necessary to decipher the exact mechanism of
LKB1 signaling in RGCs. Through use of a flexible, viral mediated knockout strategy devised by our lab, we will
determine the mechanism of LKB1 pathway mediated degeneration and its relevance in glaucoma. By pairing
targeted assays with single cell RNA sequencing and metabolomic approaches, we will reveal the causative
metabolic changes that cause RGC death and hope to translate these findings into actionable clinical
therapeutics. Under the tutelage of Dr. Zhigang He, the experiments proposed here will grow my technical
abilities and my scientific thinking, paving the way for me to become an independent investigator.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10537481
- **Project number:** 1F32EY034384-01
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Ryan J Donahue
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $67,174
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10537481

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10537481, Assessing the metabolic impact of Lkb1/Snrk signaling on RGC survival (1F32EY034384-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10537481. Licensed CC0.

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