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Experience-driven astrocytic glucocorticoid signaling as a regulator of visual plasticity

Award Number: R01EY038196
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2030

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Experience-driven astrocytic glucocorticoid signaling as a regulator of visual plasticity - Project Summary: Postnatal experience sculpts maturing neural circuitry. In the visual system, circuitry in the visual cortex is highly sensitive to sensory experience during early postnatal windows termed sensitive or critical periods. Perhaps the most extensively studied critical period (CP) is that of ocular dominance, where persistent asymmetry in the quality of visual input across the two eyes that begins within and extends beyond this CP can lead to amblyopia, the sustained loss of visual acuity in the deprived eye, a condition affecting up to 2-5% of the human population. A deeper understanding of CP regulation will facilitate improved clinical treatment for adult amblyopia; however, the mechanisms controlling CP timing—particularly the role of non-neuronal cell types in this process—remain incompletely understood. We recently identified an unexpected role for experience-dependent glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling within astrocytes in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1) in the maturation of visual circuitry. We find that in V1, GR is activated selectively in astrocytes in a sensory experience-dependent manner beginning early after eye opening to drive an extensive program of gene expression, astrocyte maturation, and perineuronal net formation, a key aspect of CP timing and visual circuit maturation. To gain further insight into the nature of this form of regulation and its role in CP timing, the Greenberg and Chen labs propose to (1) characterize the effects of astrocyte GR signaling on postnatal visual circuit development, (2) determine the contribution of astrocyte GR signaling to proper visual CP timing, and (3) investigate the molecular mechanisms by which astrocyte GR signaling drives visual circuit maturation. The proposed studies will provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling visual plasticity, further illuminate how astrocytes act to modulate CP timing, and ultimately provide new opportunities for the development of therapeutic strategies to address adult amblyopia and related conditions.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $802,355 )
2026	2026	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	25 SHATTUCK ST	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Vision Research	000	1	4/17/2026	NEW	$802,355
														Subtotal = $802,355

Grand Total All Awards = $802,355

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Experience-driven astrocytic glucocorticoid signaling as a regulator of visual plasticity

Award Number: R01EY038196

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2030

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