How distant signals help shape the developing brain
Long distance regressive signaling underlies sculpting of the nervous system during development.
This project looks at how signals sent from distant targets guide nerve-cell pruning and growth, with possible relevance for people with autism, Alzheimer's, and other brain disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11240327 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will focus on a receptor called p75NTR that can carry 'regressive' signals from a nerve cell's target back to the cell body. They will track how the receptor is taken into the cell, cut, chemically modified, and transported along axons using lab-grown cells and animal models. The team will test how these trafficking steps affect axon degeneration, synapse restriction, and cell survival during development. By linking these basic steps to conditions like autism and neurodegeneration, the work aims to reveal shared mechanisms across developmental and degenerative brain disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Findings would be most relevant to people with neurodevelopmental conditions (for example autism) or neurodegenerative diseases (for example Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's), and to adults whose samples or clinical data might be used in follow-on translational studies.
Not a fit: People without nervous system disorders or those seeking an immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify molecular steps that become targets for treatments to prevent abnormal brain wiring or slow neurodegeneration.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has clarified progressive long-distance signaling, and some work implicates p75NTR in regressive processes, but long-distance regressive signaling is a newer area with limited prior translation to therapies.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carter, Bruce D — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Carter, Bruce 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.