Artery cell channels and stroke-related dementia in older men and women
Official title: Arterial Endothelial Pannexin 1 in Ischemic Stroke-Induced Vascular Dementia with Age and Sex
Funded at Tufts Medical Center · NIH-11345816 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether blocking an artery-cell channel called Panx1 can help older men and women have less brain damage and dementia after an ischemic stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $616,031 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS148734-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345816 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for eventual human studies would be people who have had an ischemic stroke or are at high risk for stroke, particularly older adults and women with vascular risk factors.
✕Less likely to help
People with hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke, non-vascular causes of dementia, or conditions unrelated to artery endothelial function may not get direct benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, researchers are focusing on a channel called Panx1 in the cells that line brain arteries because it may make stroke damage worse. They use aged and young mice of both sexes to remove or block Panx1 and then measure blood vessel behavior, blood flow, and the size of brain injury after a blocked artery. The team also studies how Panx1 interacts with pressure-sensing integrins to understand how vessel changes lead to damage. Their methods include genetic deletion or pharmacologic blocking of Panx1 and comparisons of outcomes related to mobility, anxiety, and memory.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new treatments that reduce brain injury and lower the risk of dementia and disability after ischemic stroke, especially for older adults and women.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary animal work shows that deleting or blocking endothelial Panx1 reduced blood vessel constriction and smaller stroke sizes in mice, but human testing has not yet been done.
Where this research is happening
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Tufts Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Good, Miranda E — Tufts Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Good, Miranda E
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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MIND Diet for Dementia Prevention After Stroke
This project explores if a special diet called the MIND diet can help prevent memory and thinking problems in people who have recently had an ischemic stroke.
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BBB Dysfunction after Stroke and Risk for Dementia
A study at Stanford will look at whether inflammation after a stroke leads to leaky blood vessels and later dementia, by following stroke survivors and comparing them with people without stroke.
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Improving blood flow after stroke by breaking down NETs
Aims to see if breaking down neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) after an ischemic stroke can improve blood flow and reduce brain injury in patients.
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EP2 blockers to protect the brain after a stroke
Aims to test brain-permeable EP2 antagonists to reduce damage after ischemic stroke and improve recovery.
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Genetic testing to find causes of early-onset ischemic stroke
This project uses whole-exome sequencing to look for gene changes that may cause ischemic stroke in adults who had a stroke at a young age.
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Targeted nanomedicine to protect the brain after stroke
A targeted drug-delivery approach aims to boost blood-brain barrier repair and reduce brain damage after an acute ischemic stroke in patients at risk.
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.