How high aldosterone affects the brain's tiniest blood vessels
Aldosterone-Vascular Signaling on Cerebral Small Vessel Function
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · NIH-11256780
This project looks at whether excess aldosterone damages tiny brain blood vessels and contributes to problems with memory and thinking.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11256780 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models that mimic high blood aldosterone to study how the hormone and its receptor (the mineralocorticoid receptor) change the function of capillaries and small arterioles deep in the brain. They will turn off the receptor specifically in brain endothelial cells to see if that prevents failures in functional hyperemia, the normal increase in blood flow when brain areas become active. The team will measure blood-flow responses and study molecular signaling pathways linking aldosterone/MR activation to vessel dysfunction. Findings will be used to point toward possible treatments or repurposed drugs that protect small vessels and cognition.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with elevated blood aldosterone, resistant hypertension, or early signs of cerebral small vessel disease or vascular cognitive impairment would be most directly relevant to these findings.
Not a fit: Patients whose dementia is driven mainly by non-vascular causes (for example, pure Alzheimer pathology) or who do not have elevated aldosterone are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific line of work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify high aldosterone as a modifiable risk factor and suggest therapies to protect small brain vessels and reduce vascular contributions to cognitive decline.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies have shown that mineralocorticoid receptor activation can impair small blood vessels and that receptor blockers help in other vascular beds, but applying this specifically to cerebral small vessels and vascular cognitive impairment is relatively new and not yet tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE — BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KOIDE, MASAYO — UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE
- Study coordinator: KOIDE, MASAYO
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.