# Small non-coding RNAs regulate retinal ganglion cell maturation and the developmental loss of intrinsic axon growth capacity

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · 2020 · $410,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
The retinal ganglion cells convey information from the eye to the brain through their axons in the optic nerve and
the optic tract. The molecular mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell axon growth are still poorly understood, and
adult retinal ganglion cells do not spontaneously regenerate injured axons, contributing to the loss of vision
associated with optic nerve trauma and optic neuropathies. Our goal is to investigate a novel approach for
stimulating the retinal ganglion cells’ intrinsic capacity to regenerate axons through the optic nerve to restore
visual responses. We will utilize established animal models for investigating the roles of small non-coding RNAs
in regulating retinal ganglion cell maturation and the developmental loss of axon growth capacity, and test their
potential for regenerating the injured optic nerve. We will also investigate through which molecular pathways the
identified small non-coding RNAs regulate neurite growth. Furthermore, we will investigate the roles of these
small non-coding RNAs in arborization of retinal ganglion cell dendrites during retinal development. We expect
that these studies will advance our understanding of the roles the small non-coding RNAs play in retinal ganglion
cell biology, as well as potentially lead to the development of novel approaches for restoring simple visual
functions after optic nerve injury.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9930633
- **Project number:** 5R01EY029739-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- **Principal Investigator:** Feliks Ephraim Trakhtenberg
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $410,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9930633

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9930633, Small non-coding RNAs regulate retinal ganglion cell maturation and the developmental loss of intrinsic axon growth capacity (5R01EY029739-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9930633. Licensed CC0.

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