Lab-grown blood–brain barrier to understand how cerebral malaria harms the brain
In vitro modeling of blood brain barrier dysfunction on a chip to elucidate the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria
They are building a tiny, patient-derived blood–brain barrier on a chip to watch how malaria-infected red blood cells damage the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179158 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will reprogram patient cells to make true brain blood vessel cells and use them to build a microfluidic ‘BBB-on-a-chip’ paired with lab-grown cortical brain tissue from the same patients. They will flow malaria-infected red blood cells and cell-derived particles through this system to see how the vessels and brain tissue respond. The goal is to recreate the steps that lead to blood–brain barrier breakdown and neurological injury in cerebral malaria. This work uses patient-derived cells rather than testing treatments in people, so it is a laboratory model meant to point toward future therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people who survived cerebral malaria (including children) or volunteers able to donate blood or skin samples for making patient-derived cells.
Not a fit: People who need immediate medical treatment for cerebral malaria or acute care are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-based project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal how cerebral malaria damages the brain and point to targets for treatments or ways to prevent long-term neurodisability.
How similar studies have performed: Related organ-on-chip and iPSC-based blood–brain barrier models exist, but using transcription-factor reprogrammed bona fide brain endothelial cells with vascularized organoids for cerebral malaria is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Golightly, Linnie — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Golightly, Linnie
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.