How cilia on the brain lining control ventricle size and brain function
A Chemosensory-Mechanotransduction System Regulating Ventricular Size and Brain Function
This project looks at whether tiny hair-like cilia on cells that line the brain control fluid spaces and affect people with enlarged ventricles, such as those with normal-pressure hydrocephalus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11318898 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers will study how motile cilia on the brain's ventricular lining respond to chemical and mechanical signals and how that changes fluid movement and wall stiffness. They will use lab experiments, animal models, and human tissue or patient-derived samples to track fluid exchange between ventricles and brain tissue and measure neuronal activity. The team will link these cellular and mechanical changes to symptoms like walking trouble, thinking problems, and incontinence seen in people with enlarged ventricles. The goal is to find mechanisms that explain why some patients improve after fluid drainage and point to new diagnostic or treatment approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with ventriculomegaly or idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus, or people who developed enlarged ventricles after brain hemorrhage, infection, or other brain injury, would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People whose brain changes are due primarily to widespread brain atrophy (for example typical Alzheimer-type shrinkage) or to obstructive hydrocephalus due to a clear blockage may not benefit from findings focused on cilia-mediated ventricular control.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to diagnose or treat enlarged ventricles and conditions like idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus, improving gait, cognition, and bladder control for affected patients.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and animal studies have linked ependymal cilia dysfunction to hydrocephalus, but the chemosensory-mechanotransduction explanation and its connection to human disease is relatively novel and not yet established.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Mark D — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Mark D
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.