How CTL1 moves choline to keep myelin healthy
Official title: Unveiling CTL1 as the Key Choline Transporter in Oligodendrocytes: Implication for Myelin Formation and Maintenance
Funded at Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark · NIH-11237986 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a protein called CTL1 helps brain support cells take up choline so myelin can form and stay healthy, with relevance for people who have white-matter or demyelinating conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $196,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21NS140995-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237986 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis or people with early-onset white-matter atrophy linked to CTL1 mutations would be the most relevant candidates for related future studies or sample donation.
✕Less likely to help
People without white-matter disorders or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct benefit from this lab-focused, early-stage project.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how oligodendrocytes (the brain cells that make myelin) import choline by focusing on the CTL1 transporter using lab-grown cells and animal models. They will measure CTL1 expression and function during active myelination and in adult brain tissue. The team will connect laboratory findings to human genetic data showing CTL1 mutations that cause early white-matter loss, to understand disease relevance. The goal is to clarify whether targeting CTL1 or choline supply could support myelin formation and maintenance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to boost myelin repair or inform dietary choline strategies for people with demyelinating or genetic white-matter disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Prior evidence links prenatal choline and CTL1 mutations to myelination and white-matter loss, and choline supplements have shown promise in MS, but directly defining CTL1's role in oligodendrocytes is a relatively new area.
Where this research is happening
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Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Haesun a — Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark
- Study coordinator: Kim, Haesun a
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.