# Defining the Role of Retinal Microglia and Infiltrating Monocytes on Photoreceptor Cell Death in Retinal Detachment

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2023 · $212,522

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This four-year proposal for the K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award aims to further the
professional skills of the candidate Daniel E. Maidana, MD, PhD while addressing critical scientific inquiries
related to the contribution of mononuclear phagocytes to photoreceptor (PR) cell death in retinal detachment
(RD). The candidate's proposed career and scientific goals rely on the protected research time necessary to
master advanced laboratory methods and develop leadership skills under the guidance of an expert
multidisciplinary mentoring team. This collaborative work, which builds on prior research and established
mentoring relationships, will provide the basis for a successful and productive transition to independence.
The career advancement plan for the candidate, currently an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), will consist of i) graduate-level courses in immunology, biostatistics,
transcriptomics, and bioinformatics, at UIC; ii) advanced laboratory technical and analytical methods, guided by
an expert Mentoring and Advisory Committee; iii) development of management and mentoring skills required to
lead a productive, independent laboratory. The institutional environment, departmental support, and cross-
disciplinary mentorship team will enable the candidate to maximize productivity during these four years. The
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UIC has a consistent record in transitioning early
physician-scientists to established independent investigators and strongly supports the candidate for this award.
The scientific goal of this proposal is to define the independent contribution of retinal microglia (MG) and blood-
derived monocytes/macrophages (Mø) to PR demise and vision loss in an experimental model of RD. Since MG
and Mø can either contribute to or resolve the initial injury, several therapeutic approaches have been recently
proposed to modulate these cells. However, recent work has unveiled technical limitations and a lack of
specificity in the methods used to ablate MG and Mø, thus limiting our understanding of their independent role
in promoting or reducing PR cell death. This goal will be accomplished using a novel inducible conditional
deletion model to i) define the role of MG in dead PR clearance in early RD; ii) dissect the contribution of MG
and Mø phenotypes to promote PR demise in late RD; and iii) determine the neuroprotective potential of MG
and Mø to rescue PR cell death following RD. The successful completion of this proposal will generate technical
and scientific advancements in our understanding of MG and Mø. We expect this work to provide mechanistic
insights to develop effective neuroprotective therapies, allowing us to maximize visual outcomes in the detached
retina to prevent vision loss.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10644354
- **Project number:** 1K08EY034935-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Enrique E. Maidana
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $212,522
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-06-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10644354

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10644354, Defining the Role of Retinal Microglia and Infiltrating Monocytes on Photoreceptor Cell Death in Retinal Detachment (1K08EY034935-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10644354. Licensed CC0.

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