How adolescent brain cells reshape their connections
Providing New Insight Into Adolescent Dendritic Development
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11233247
This work looks at how changes in certain brain proteins during the teenage years alter the branching of nerve cells in the part of the brain that processes sound.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11233247 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are exploring how certain proteins that rise during the teenage years change the branching of nerve cells in the part of the brain that processes sound. Using lab models, genetic tools, and high-resolution imaging, they will watch how altering OMGp and KAL9 signaling affects dendrite growth and retraction. They will compare normal development to models with increased OMGp/KAL9 activity and measure effects on neuron shape and circuit function. Findings aim to explain how adolescent changes in brain wiring could contribute to later psychiatric and auditory problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant is lab-based and does not appear to enroll patients, though future clinical studies might include adolescents with early-onset psychiatric symptoms or auditory processing problems.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to adolescent brain development or auditory processing are unlikely to see direct benefits from this work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new targets to prevent or treat adolescent-onset psychiatric or auditory-processing problems by protecting or restoring nerve cell connections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and cellular studies support roles for OMGp and KAL9 in shaping dendrites, but translating these mechanisms into human treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GRUBISHA, MELANIE JEAN — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: GRUBISHA, MELANIE JEAN
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.