How blood vessel cells help the newborn brain heal after a stroke
Endothelial tip cell-mediated angiogenesis and repair after neonatal stroke
This work looks at how special blood vessel cells and nearby scarring processes help newborn brains recover after an early-life (neonatal) ischemic stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167794 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your newborn had a stroke, the team will study the cells that guide new blood vessel growth and the scarring that forms near the injured area to understand how repair happens. They will use laboratory models and tissue analysis to follow different endothelial (blood vessel) cell subtypes and supporting cells over time after ischemia-reperfusion injury. The researchers will also test how treatments like erythropoietin and cell-based therapies change growth-factor signals, vessel behavior, and local fibrosis. The goal is to map when and where healthy angiogenesis and repair occur in the developing brain to inform future therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Newborns (about 0–4 weeks old) who have experienced an ischemic stroke and their caregivers would be most relevant to this line of work.
Not a fit: Older children, adults, or people with hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke are unlikely to directly benefit from this neonatal-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to encourage healthy blood vessel regrowth and limit scarring, improving recovery after stroke in newborns.
How similar studies have performed: Some animal and early-phase clinical work suggests erythropoietin and cell therapies can help brain repair, but their effects on specific blood vessel cell types and local fibrosis are still unclear.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gonzalez, Fernando Francisco — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Gonzalez, Fernando Francisco
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.