How brain immune cells shape connections linked to autism and epilepsy
Official title: Defining the interactions between microglia and synapses in brain development and disease
Funded at San Francisco State University · NIH-11406148 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project watches how brain immune cells called microglia interact with and remove synapses during development to understand links to autism and epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Francisco State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $242,007 |
| NIH project number | 5R00NS130018-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406148 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with autism spectrum disorder, particularly those with epilepsy or evidence of neuronal hyperexcitability, would be the most relevant patients for follow-up studies informed by this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without neurodevelopmental or excitability-related conditions, or whose symptoms stem from causes unrelated to microglial function, may not benefit directly from this specific research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use transparent zebrafish to watch microglia and synapses in the living developing brain with high-resolution live imaging. They will combine single-cell and regional sequencing to identify a subset of synapse-associated microglia and test candidate genes such as cathepsin b (ctsba). Using gene deletions, immune activation, and chemical induction of hyperexcitability, they will determine whether microglia engulf whole synapses and how that changes neuronal activity. The work aims to connect microglial behavior during development to conditions like autism and epilepsy and guide future patient-focused studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal microglia-driven mechanisms behind synapse changes in autism or epilepsy and suggest new targets for therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies have shown microglia can prune synapses in adult brains, but directly observing whole-synapse engulfment in the developing brain is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silva, Nicholas Jeremy — San Francisco State University
- Study coordinator: Silva, Nicholas Jeremy
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.