How a common virus can cause deadly brain disease (PML)
Official title: Progressive Multifocal Leukoenephalopathy: Endemic Viruses and Lethal Brain Disease
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11369625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at where the JC virus hides and how it gets into the brain in people with weakened immune systems who can develop PML.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2020 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $905,846 |
| NIH project number | 5R35NS116836-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with weakened immune systems or on immune-suppressing treatments—such as those with AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, lupus, severe psoriasis, hematologic cancers, or rheumatoid arthritis—are the most relevant candidates for related sample donation or future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without immune suppression or those with unrelated neurological conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this work in the short term.
What this research studies
If I'm at risk for PML (for example because of AIDS or immune-suppressing treatments), this research follows the JC virus to find the places it may persist in the body, such as the kidney, bone marrow, or brain. The team studies how the virus might travel to the brain through the choroid plexus and meninges and how virus-filled little packets called extracellular vesicles could carry infection into brain tissue. They use lab analyses of viral genetics and cell behavior and work with human-derived samples to trace routes of spread. The goal is to pin down the steps that let the virus switch from harmless persistence to the destructive infection that causes PML.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to ways to detect virus reservoirs earlier or block the routes the virus uses to reach the brain, reducing PML risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have established the JC virus as the cause of PML and found viral DNA in organs like the kidney and bone marrow, but the idea that extracellular vesicles drive brain invasion is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Atwood, Walter J — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Atwood, Walter J
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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.