How changes in NOTCH3 affect brain blood vessel disease
Official title: Advanced conformational changes in NOTCH3 and cerebrovascular disease severity
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11213915 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether specific changes in the NOTCH3 protein are linked to worse brain blood vessel disease and higher dementia risk, especially among Veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX003824-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11213915 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with CADASIL or known NOTCH3 mutations, and patients with vascular cognitive impairment or mixed Alzheimer’s and vascular disease (especially Veterans), are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose cognitive problems are due solely to non-vascular causes unrelated to NOTCH3 are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will study specific changes in the NOTCH3 protein that are known to cause CADASIL and other blood vessel problems in the brain. They will test patient samples for forms of NOTCH3 with multiple reduced cysteines and for a small released piece called the N-terminal fragment (NTF). The team will combine lab-based protein analyses with clinical information and imaging to connect these molecular signs to how severe vessel disease and cognitive symptoms are. The goal is to find markers or targets that could help detect or slow vascular contributions to dementia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new biomarkers or treatments that detect or protect against brain blood vessel damage that speeds dementia.
How similar studies have gone: This builds on prior CADASIL research but the specific NOTCH3 cleavage and the NTF fragment are relatively new findings and have not yet been developed into clinical tests or treatments.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Michael M — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Wang, Michael M
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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.