Estrogen and brain cholesterol during myelin damage and repair
Official title: Estrogen regulation of cholesterol metabolism during myelin damage and repair
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11372865 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Women with neurological diseases may have worse symptoms after menopause, so this study looks at how estrogen influences brain fats and myelin healing in a way that could help future therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $229,437 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM152280-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372865 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias could potentially benefit from future therapies arising from this work, especially those affected by menopause-related changes.
✕Less likely to help
The study is primarily preclinical and may not directly benefit individual patients during the trial period.
What this research studies
This project explores how estrogen affects the brain’s cholesterol and lipid pathways during demyelination and remyelination, aiming to uncover mechanisms that support myelin repair. Researchers plan to study estrogen signaling in cells and animal models to see how it changes myelin components when damage occurs and how repair processes respond. The work builds a link between hormones, lipid metabolism, and brain health to identify targets that could improve recovery after myelin injury. The overall goal is to map how estrogen regulation impacts cholesterol metabolites in the CNS during disease-related damage and repair.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform new approaches to support myelin repair and brain health in women with neurodegenerative diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests estrogen can influence lipid metabolism during CNS demyelination, indicating this avenue has some supporting data but remains exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hartley, Meredith D — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Hartley, Meredith 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.