3D brain models from patient iPSCs to speed FTD therapies
Official title: 3D in vitro model of genetic and sporadic FTD: accelerating novel therapeutic development
Funded at Synapticure, INC. · NIH-11332943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small business is developing patient-derived 3D brain cell models to speed the discovery of diagnostics and treatments for frontotemporal dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Synapticure, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kenilworth, United States) |
| Project start | May 9, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,246,192 |
| NIH project number | 5R44NS143521-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with hereditary or sporadic frontotemporal dementia whose cells can be used to generate patient-derived iPSCs for the CBS model.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to iPSC-derived tissue or those with non-FTD forms of dementia may not benefit directly from this platform.
What this research studies
This project uses patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to create 3D cortical brain spheroids that mimic features of frontotemporal dementia, aiming to serve as a high-fidelity platform for biomarker discovery and drug screening. The team plans to standardize and scale the CBS system to improve reproducibility and enable rapid testing of potential therapies. By bridging lab models and human biology, the work seeks to accelerate translation of effective interventions for individuals living with FTD. The grant funds focused development, validation, and screening pipelines in collaboration with Synapticure, Inc. over a 3-year period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with frontotemporal dementia could see faster development of accurate diagnostics and effective treatments tailored to disease biology.
How similar studies have gone: Similar organoid-based approaches have shown promise in modeling neurodegenerative features and enabling drug screening, though broader human translation remains challenging.
Where this research is happening
-
Synapticure, INC.
Kenilworth, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghaffari, Layla — Synapticure, INC.
- Study coordinator: Ghaffari, Layla
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Creating a 3D model to develop new treatments for frontotemporal dementia
This study is working on creating a special 3D model of the brain using cells from people with frontotemporal dementia, so researchers can better understand the disease and find new ways to diagnose and treat it.
-
Creating brain models to test treatments for ALS and frontotemporal dementia
This study is creating tiny 3D brain models from patient cells to help find better ways to diagnose and treat ALS and frontotemporal dementia, making it easier to understand these conditions and discover new treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.