Investigating the role of immune cells in the brain related to neurological diseases
Official title: Role of CSF microglia in health and disease
Funded at St. Louis VA Medical Center · NIH-10937998 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain brain immune cells act in people with multiple sclerosis and ALS by examining their spinal fluid, hoping to find clues that could help us understand these conditions better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Louis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (St. Louis, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002383-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10937998 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with neurological conditions other than multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how microglia, immune cells in the brain, behave in conditions like multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. By analyzing cerebrospinal fluid from patients, the researchers aim to identify unique characteristics of these cells that may indicate disease states. They will use advanced techniques like flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing to compare the profiles of microglia in patients with these diseases to those in healthy individuals. The findings could provide insights into how these immune cells contribute to neurological disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new diagnostic tools or therapies targeting microglia to improve outcomes for patients with neurological diseases.
How similar studies have gone: While the role of microglia in neurological diseases has been studied, the specific focus on their characteristics in cerebrospinal fluid is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Louis VA Medical Center
St. Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Gregory — St. Louis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wu, Gregory
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.