Rajashekhar Gangaraju, PhD, an assistant professor in the Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to develop stem cell-based therapeutics for retinal damage after traumatic brain injury, specifically in military personnel after blast injuries are sustained.

Blast causing traumatic brain injury (TBI) is also frequently associated with progressing vision problems that can result in blindness. Most knowledge about mild TBI in humans is based on sports injuries and motor vehicle accidents. Relatively less research has been performed on blast-induced brain injuries. The current methods of treatment for these visual deficits are, in any case, far from satisfactory and, in most cases, do not address the underlying neurodegeneration.

Gangaraju’s laboratory pioneered the use of stem cells derived from human adipose tissue (ADSC), which is readily available and could potentially be useful as a therapeutic strategy in retinal diseases. It is known to secrete a variety of proteins that are neuroprotective. In this pre-clinical study, the researchers will explore if anti-inflammatory proteins released by ADSC have the ability to to stop blast-related retinal damage and improve visual function.