# Optically Induced Anisometropias

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2024 · $169,702

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Our proposed research will utilize tissue generated from funded studies and employ transcriptomics and
proteomics to precisely characterize how the sclera is affected in myopia, directly addressing several objectives
of the NEI’s strategic plan regarding the “from genes to disease mechanisms” area of emphasis. This supplement
proposal addresses a missed opportunity in our funded work that can be addressed with much of the current
resources, providing the first comprehensive cellular and molecular dataset for rhesus monkey ocular structures
to aid in the development of novel therapies for myopia. For reasons not well understood, a significant and rapidly
increasing proportion of the population develops myopia, or nearsightedness. Because of structural changes
that take place as the eye becomes myopic, even low degrees of myopia pose a significant risk for numerous
blinding conditions. Myopia is now one of the leading causes of permanent visual impairment in the world and
represents a substantial economic burden. Billions of dollars are spent annually on optical corrections and
pathologies caused by myopia. The long-term goal of our research program is to provide a better understanding
of the etiology of the most common form of myopia, juvenile-onset myopia, and to develop effective treatment
strategies that reduce the burden of myopia. Little is known about transcriptomic and other phenotypic changes
in the primate sclera, which limits the ability to develop novel treatments and translate these towards clinical
practice. Since fibroblasts, the primary cell type in sclera, mediate the scleral remodeling that ultimately leads to
myopic axial ocular elongation, this fundamental knowledge gap also hinders development of scleral fibroblast-
centric molecular interventions for preventing myopia. Our findings will provide a comprehensive foundation for
examining scleral mechanisms during myopia and have the potential to identify novel scleral targets to treat
myopia in children. Our purpose is to generate knowledge that can be applied to the human eye; however, many
of the required experiments cannot be conducted in humans. Therefore, these experiments will be conducted
using non-human primates. Here, controlled rearing strategies, rigorous optical and biometric measurements
and molecular techniques, including single cell sequencing, will be used to determine: 1) which cell types in the
sclera respond to experimental myopia and 2) molecular changes in the extracellular matrix of sclera in response
to experimental myopia. Our study combines many approaches across different disciplines (genomics, cell and
molecular biology, and mass spectrometry) to produce the most complete description of scleral changes in
myopia. Results of these studies will potentially provide the scientific foundation for novel treatment and
management strategies for the most common forms of myopia in children to prevent and slow the progression
of myopia, in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10933184
- **Project number:** 3R01EY003611-40S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Lisa A Ostrin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $169,702
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 1981-02-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10933184

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10933184, Optically Induced Anisometropias (3R01EY003611-40S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10933184. Licensed CC0.

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