Brain immune cells gathering at injured nerve fibers after head injury
Microglial process convergence following brain injury
This work looks at whether microglia, the brain's immune cells, cluster at injured nerve fibers after traumatic brain injury and how that might help repair.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11160504 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've had a traumatic brain injury, researchers are studying how microglia respond to damaged axons in a region called the thalamus. They are using pigs—which have brain immune responses and structure more like humans than rodents—to image microglial processes and injured axonal swellings and test the role of a receptor called P2Y12R. The team will compare pig findings with prior rodent data and available human tissue observations to identify shared responses. Learning how microglia converge on axons could point to ways to protect or encourage axon regrowth after injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The main patient group of interest is people who have experienced moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury, although this project primarily uses animal models and tissue samples rather than a human trial.
Not a fit: People with only mild or long-standing (chronic) brain injuries or those with non-traumatic neurological conditions may not directly benefit from findings focused on acute axonal injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that protect or repair nerve fibers after traumatic brain injury by targeting microglial responses.
How similar studies have performed: Rodent studies have shown microglial process convergence and implicated P2Y12R, but many rodent-promising therapies failed to translate to humans, making pig-based work a relatively novel bridge to clinical relevance.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lafrenaye, Audrey D — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Lafrenaye, Audrey D
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.