Different brain pericytes that protect blood vessels
Official title: Probing the heterogeneity of brain pericytes using new genetic tools
Funded at Tulane University of Louisiana · NIH-11458664 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are making and using new genetic tools in mice to identify and track different brain pericytes that help keep the blood-brain barrier healthy, with the goal of improving understanding of conditions like Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $143,507 |
| NIH project number | 7R21AG085559-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11458664 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant does not enroll patients; however people with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, or other neurovascular conditions are the patient groups most likely to benefit from future discoveries enabled by this work.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatments or clinical trial enrollment will not benefit directly, because the project uses mouse genetic models and does not offer patient-facing interventions.
What this research studies
This project will create and test new genetic mouse models that label pericytes using a gene called Atp13a5. The team compiled multiple transcriptomic datasets to nominate Atp13a5 as a more specific marker, then built transgenic reporter and CreER lines to visualize and manipulate these cells. They will map pericyte subtypes in the brain, determine which ones are associated with the blood-brain barrier, and study how these cells change during development, aging, and disease models. These tools are intended for laboratory research in mice and aim to enable clearer follow-up studies relevant to human neurovascular disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable more precise research into how pericytes contribute to Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders, potentially guiding future diagnostics or therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genetic models used markers like Pdgfrb, Cspg4, and Rgs5 but lacked pericyte specificity, so using Atp13a5 is a novel approach supported by transcriptomic data but not yet proven for human translation.
Where this research is happening
-
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Zhen — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Zhen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Center for Youth Equity: A Community Path to Prevent Youth Violence
A Tulane-led effort partners with communities to reduce youth violence by addressing racism, strengthening local youth voices, and building sustainable prevention strategies.
-
Breeding colony expansion to support HIV/AIDS research with rhesus macaques
A funding opportunity to expand a specialized Rhesus macaque breeding population to support HIV/AIDS research at Tulane’s primate facility.
-
HIV Resilience Observatory in a rhesus macaque colony expansion
A program to build a rhesus macaque breeding colony and use AI-powered monitoring to study why some HIV/AIDS outcomes differ among individuals with similar backgrounds.
-
Indoor-Outdoor Housing Expansion to Support HIV/AIDS-Related Research
A HIV-focused project at a primate research center will use new indoor/outdoor housing and AI-assisted monitoring to study why people with similar backgrounds can have very different HIV outcomes.
-
Whole-body and organ aging clocks from blood proteomics during calorie restriction
This project follows people in long-term calorie restriction studies to see how blood proteins reflect aging across the whole body and specific organs.
-
Unlocking new vaccine ideas by studying ETEC biofilms
A medical research project at Tulane aims to learn how ETEC bacteria form biofilms and how this could lead to a better vaccine for children in low- and middle-income countries.
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.