How Powassan virus harms the aging brain
CNS Senescence and Immunopathology in Lethal POWV Infection of Aged Mice
['FUNDING_R01'] · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · NIH-11171459
Researchers are learning how Powassan virus causes severe brain damage in older adults by studying infected aged mice and human brain barrier cells.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (STONY BROOK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11171459 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project uses aged mice that develop severe brain disease similar to what some older patients experience after Powassan virus infection and compares a lethal virus strain with a weakened strain that does not enter the brain. Scientists will measure virus levels, inflammatory signals, and signs of brain cell aging and microglial activation across the brain. They will also test how the virus interacts with human brain barrier cells grown in the lab to understand how it gets into the central nervous system. The goal is to find the steps that lead to lethal encephalitis and long-term neurologic damage in older adults.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most relevant to this work include older adults (for example, age 50 and up) in Powassan-endemic areas, especially those at risk of or recovering from Powassan encephalitis.
Not a fit: People without any Powassan exposure risk or those whose dementia is purely non-infectious are unlikely to see direct benefits from this specific lab-based work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to ways to prevent or treat Powassan virus brain infection in older adults and improve understanding of virus-triggered brain aging that may inform dementia care.
How similar studies have performed: Using aged animal models and comparisons of lethal versus attenuated virus strains is an established approach for viral encephalitis, but applying it to Powassan virus and its links to brain aging is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
STONY BROOK, UNITED STATES
- STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK — STONY BROOK, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MACKOW, ERICH R — STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
- Study coordinator: MACKOW, ERICH R
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.
Conditions: Acquired brain injury, Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease