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.

Public Health Relevance

The inability of the eye to regenerate connections to the brain is the key reason why the vision lost after injury to the optic nerve cannot be restored. We propose to investigate the roles of small non-coding RNAs in regenerating the damaged optic nerve connections between the eye and the brain. We expect that these studies will lead to the development of a novel approach for restoring simple visual functions after optic nerve injury.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01EY029739-01A1
Application #
9762351
Study Section
Diseases and Pathophysiology of the Visual System Study Section (DPVS)
Program Officer
Greenwell, Thomas
Project Start
2019-06-01
Project End
2024-05-31
Budget Start
2019-06-01
Budget End
2020-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Connecticut
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
022254226
City
Farmington
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06030