A United States researcher, who has been granted US$1.4 million to map corneal nerves, hopes to fill in key knowledge gaps about how the cornea functions.
The cornea is densely packed with multi-tasking nerves that mediate pain, blink reflexes, and tear production – all indispensable tasks in the proper maintenance of ocular surface health. Because it has so many nerve connections, the cornea is a key area for understanding sensory functions.
University of Houston optometrist researcher Associate Professor Anna Matynia has received the $1.4m grant, from Duke University via the National Eye Institute, to map the cornea and provide a comprehensive analysis of corneal nerves at the morphologic, molecular and functional level.
“We are developing methods to selectively label the neurons that innervate the cornea. These neurons make up about 1% of the population of neurons located in the trigeminal ganglia, the peripheral nervous system that mediates pain and other sensory functions,” Assoc Prof Matynia said in a news release announcing the funding.
… this work will… facilitate a deeper understanding of related pathobiology including neuropathic ocular pain and dry eye disease
With her team, Assoc Prof Matynia will be using advanced imaging, studying genes, and using computers to map the corneal nerves. They are also figuring out which nerves connect directly to the eye and creating a detailed map of how they’re all connected.
“These efforts will provide critical clues for understanding corneal structure-function and will lead to an unprecedented cartography,” she said.
“The advancements from this work will be poised to facilitate a deeper understanding of related pathobiology including neuropathic ocular pain and dry eye disease that will lay the foundation for future translational and clinical research.”
