How lymphatic vessels around the brain shape immune development
Role of meningeal lymphatic vasculature in neuroimmune communication development
This project looks at whether lymphatic vessels around the brain guide immune cell development in newborn mice and in models of childhood brain tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308692 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work explores how the lymphatic vessels that line the brain's coverings help immune cells learn to recognize threats during early life, using newborn and young mice. Researchers will use genetic knockout mice and boost lymphatic growth with VEGF-C while studying a mouse model of medulloblastoma, a common childhood brain tumor. They will image whole heads in 3-D with light-sheet microscopy and analyze cells and proteins using single-cell RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry. Teams at Yale with expertise in lymphatics, blood-vessel development, and immunology will combine these approaches to connect lab findings to pediatric brain tumor biology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with medulloblastoma or other pediatric brain tumors would be the most relevant human group for future clinical work informed by this project.
Not a fit: People without brain or nervous system diseases, or those seeking immediate clinical treatments, are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to boost immune responses in children with brain tumors or to prevent immune problems that arise early in life.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse work showed that boosting meningeal lymphatics with VEGF-C improved immune responses against adult glioblastoma, but applying this to early-life immune development and pediatric tumors is novel.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomas, Jean-Leon — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Thomas, Jean-Leon
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.