Leptin Gateway: How the Brain Gets Its Signal
Official title: Leptin transport in the choroid plexus and tanycytes
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11426575 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how the hormone leptin moves from the bloodstream into the brain, to understand why obesity can blunt its effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $876,947 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK148663-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11426575 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with obesity or metabolic syndrome in future translational phases, or patients contributing tissue samples in related studies; currently, the work is preclinical.
✕Less likely to help
People without obesity-related metabolic issues may not directly benefit from the mechanistic insights before translation.
What this research studies
We’re looking at two key brain gateways, the choroid plexus and tanycytes, to see how leptin crosses into the brain. The project will explore how receptor partners like LRP1, LepR, and EGFR help or hinder this transport and how obesity may disrupt these pathways. Using mouse models and cellular systems, researchers will examine signaling and transport steps that control appetite and energy balance. The goal is to identify targets that could restore leptin sensitivity and improve metabolic health in people with obesity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide new strategies to restore leptin signaling and help manage obesity and related metabolic diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown leptin transport pathways can influence brain signaling and feeding behavior, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Young-Bum — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Kim, Young-Bum
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
SATURN MRI ancillary study: statins after intracerebral hemorrhage and brain MRI markers
This study looks at what happens to brain MRI markers and health outcomes when people with a specific type of brain bleed continue or stop taking statins.
-
Statin use after brain bleed MRI study in ICH patients (SATURN MRI) Ancillary Study
This project tests whether continuing or stopping statin therapy after an intracerebral hemorrhage affects brain changes seen on MRI and related health outcomes in people with lobar ICH.
-
Statin use after brain bleed: SATURN MRI ancillary study
This project tests whether continuing statin medicines after a brain bleed (lobar intracerebral hemorrhage) affects new brain blood vessel findings and long-term health.
-
XenCAT: Single Cell Atlas for Xenopus
Aims to map gene activity at the single-cell level in Xenopus to help understand how cells develop and how this relates to human disease.
-
Statin use after lobar intracerebral hemorrhage
This trial compares continuing versus stopping statins in people who had a lobar intracerebral hemorrhage to see how that affects repeat brain bleeds, strokes, heart attacks, and recovery over two years.
-
Statin use after lobar brain hemorrhage
This trial compares stopping versus continuing statin medicine in people who had a lobar brain bleed to learn effects on repeat bleeding and future heart or stroke events.
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.