Mouse models carrying human inhibitory brain cells from specific brain regions
Brain-region-specific humanized cortical interneuron mice
This project puts human inhibitory brain cells into mice to learn how changes in those cells may contribute to autism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309691 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers grow human cortical interneurons from stem cells, including cells derived from people with and without autism, and transplant them into specific regions of mouse brains to create 'humanized' models. They include other human support cells like astrocytes so the transplanted cells live in a more realistic brain environment. The team then studies how these human cells change brain circuit activity and behaviors linked to autism. This lets them observe the effects of human genetic differences in a living brain context that rodent-only models cannot reproduce.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with autism who can donate cells or tissue samples or provide clinical information for deriving patient-specific stem cells.
Not a fit: People who cannot provide biological samples or who need immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-based work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal human-cell mechanisms behind autism and point to new targets for treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Prior labs have shown human interneurons can be generated from stem cells and function after transplantation into mice, but applying region-specific human interneurons to study autism genetics is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, Sangmi — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Chung, Sangmi
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.