Pathogenic Role of EPAC1 Signaling in Retinopathy of Prematurity

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ABSTRACT Corneal exposure to chemicals by accident (e.g. alkali burn) or during a terrorist attack against U.S. civilians or armed forces (e.g. sulfur mustard burn) often leads to corneal neovascularization that is characterized by the invasion of new blood vessels into the cornea from the limbus. Corneal neovascularization is a vision- threatening condition that may lead to lipid deposition, edema, persistent inflammation and scarring, resulting in impairment of corneal transparency and visual acuity. Currently, there are only a few options to treat corneal neovascularization and these treatments have significant limitations. There is a great need to develop new strategies and therapies to prevent corneal neovascularization and vision loss against chemical threats. In this application for Administrative Supplements, we propose to conduct experiments to generate preliminary data to determine if Epac1 also plays a role in corneal neovascularization after chemical injury. The feasibility of the work proposed is strongly supported by data generated from the research progress of the parental award and by our preliminary data. Based on pilot data from this work, in the future, we will further evaluate and optimize the therapeutic effects of ESI-09 and other novel Epac inhibitors in a rabbit model of corneal nitrogen mustard burn. The proposed pilot work, together with future studies following this work, is expected to significantly facilitate the development of novel countermeasures to treat corneal neovascularization and restore vision after chemical threats.