Estrogen's protection of the brain barrier in teens with restrictive eating disorders
Official title: Estrogen's Neuroprotective Effects on the Brain-Barrier in Restrictive Eating Disorders
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11177049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether estrogen treatment protects the brain barrier and reduces inflammation in adolescent females with restrictive eating disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $179,712 |
| NIH project number | 5K23MH127465-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11177049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescent females with restrictive eating disorders who have low estrogen levels and are medically able to receive short-term estrogen replacement.
✕Less likely to help
People who are male, do not have estrogen deficiency, have other types of eating disorders, or have medical contraindications to estrogen are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will compare short-term estrogen replacement to a placebo in adolescent females with restrictive eating disorders who have low estrogen. They'll collect blood samples to measure inflammation markers and use non-invasive brain imaging to examine brain-barrier health, including tissue volume, blood flow, and extracellular fluid. This work builds on a related 12-week estrogen replacement trial and combines clinical, imaging, and laboratory measures. The study aims to link hormonal treatment, changes in brain inflammation or barrier function, and core eating-disorder symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower brain inflammation and lead to better cognitive and psychiatric outcomes for teens with restrictive eating disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows estrogen can have protective and anti-inflammatory effects in the brain and a related 12-week estrogen trial is ongoing, but using estrogen to target brain-barrier dysfunction in restrictive eating disorders is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Breithaupt, Lauren — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Breithaupt, Lauren
Related research
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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.