Boosting tiny brain blood vessels to help memory in Alzheimer's and related dementias
Metabolic and neural activity normalization by cerebral blood flow increase in AD/ADRD models
This work looks at whether improving blood flow in tiny brain vessels can quickly improve memory for people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308218 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers study how blocked tiny blood vessels (capillary stalls) reduce brain blood flow and harm thinking by using mouse models that mimic Alzheimer's and related dementia conditions. In these models, they remove stalls caused by immune cells or platelets with targeted drugs and observe rapid recoveries in memory and brain activity. The team measures blood flow, oxygen delivery, and neuronal firing patterns to understand how faster blood flow restores cognition. The goal is to learn mechanisms that could guide treatments for people with dementia, especially those with vascular risk or the APOE4 gene.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future trials would be people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, particularly those with vascular risk factors (like hypertension) or the APOE4 genetic risk variant.
Not a fit: People with very advanced dementia, where extensive brain loss has already occurred, or those whose cognitive problems are unrelated to brain blood flow may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to treatments that quickly boost brain blood flow and restore thinking and memory in people with Alzheimer's or related dementias.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies have shown rapid memory improvement after clearing capillary stalls with immune- or platelet-targeting drugs, but translation to people has not yet been proven.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schaffer, Chris B — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Schaffer, Chris B
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 below.