How microglia and astrocytes reshape brain connections
Microglia-Astrocyte Crosstalk Regulating SynapseRemodeling
Learning how two types of brain support cells called microglia and astrocytes change connections between nerve cells, which could help people with Alzheimer’s disease.
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-11296923 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, the team uses laboratory experiments and animal models to watch how microglia and astrocytes talk to each other and decide which synapses to remove or keep. They build on earlier findings that microglia engulf less-active synapses during development and that fractalkine signaling helps guide this process. The project will test whether similar mechanisms operate in the adult brain and how astrocytes contribute, using genetic tools, sensory manipulations, and imaging of cells and synapses. Results will identify specific cell signals and pathways that could be targeted to protect connections in disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Alzheimer’s disease or at high risk of synapse loss would be the eventual candidates for therapies that come from these findings.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to synapse loss or those needing immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to see direct benefit from this lab-based work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect or restore synapses and slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have shown microglia and astrocytes can remove synapses and that fractalkine signaling is important, but applying these findings to adult brains and human disease is still unproven.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schafer, Dorothy Patricia — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Schafer, Dorothy Patricia
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.