How the body's daily clock affects brain myelin
Circadian mechanisms of myelination
This project looks at how the body's 24-hour clock controls the cells that make the brain's myelin, with the goal of helping people with Alzheimer's and related brain disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11239824 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, the team is studying the cells that produce myelin—the insulating layer around nerve fibers—and how those cells are controlled by the body's circadian (daily) clock. They will use laboratory models and cell-based experiments to track how the circadian regulator Bmal1 influences proliferation and maintenance of oligodendrocyte precursor cells during development and in adulthood. The work connects changes in myelin to problems with memory, attention, learning, and movement that are seen in disorders like Alzheimer's. Findings are intended to reveal biological steps that could be targeted to preserve or restore myelin in disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with Alzheimer's disease or related cognitive decline would be the patient group most likely to benefit from or be recruited into follow-up clinical research based on these findings.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment effects should not expect direct clinical benefit from this lab-focused work, since it is aimed at understanding mechanisms rather than providing a therapy right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect or restore myelin and ultimately help improve cognition or slow decline in people with Alzheimer's and related disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and cell studies show that circadian genes can influence cell proliferation and brain function, but translating circadian control of myelination into treatments for Alzheimer's remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valdez, Erin G — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Valdez, Erin G
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.