How age changes immune cell responses after a head injury
Divergent age-dependent peripheral innate immune response following TBI
Researchers are comparing how immune cells from younger versus older bodies react after a traumatic brain injury to learn why age alters recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11377873 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses mouse models of traumatic brain injury to study blood-derived immune cells (monocytes/macrophages) from young and adult donors and how they affect the injured brain. Scientists will remove or replace these cells, use genetically modified mice to test specific receptor pathways (including Tie2 and EphA4), and track recovery with behavior tests and tissue examinations. They will also run genome-wide molecular analyses to find cell-specific signals that explain age-related differences. The work aims to identify targets that could one day be used to reduce harmful inflammation after head injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People of any age who have experienced a recent traumatic brain injury and are interested in therapies that address age-related immune differences would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients with non-traumatic neurological conditions or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-based animal research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new ways to limit damaging inflammation after traumatic brain injury and improve recovery, possibly with age-tailored therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies indicate younger-derived immune cells can be less inflammatory and replacing adult cells with juvenile ones can protect the injured brain, but translating this idea into human treatments is still untested.
Where this research is happening
Blacksburg, United States
- Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ — Blacksburg, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Theus, Michelle Lee — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Theus, Michelle Lee
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.