NOTCH cell signals in large-vessel vasculitis (giant cell arteritis)
Official title: The NOTCH Signaling Pathway in Large Vessel Vasculitis
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11099732 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether a cell signal called NOTCH makes immune cells release succinate that fuels dangerous inflammation in people with giant cell arteritis affecting the aorta and its branches.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | January 6, 2014 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $630,400 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL117913-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11099732 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with giant cell arteritis or large-vessel vasculitis, especially those with aortitis or willing to provide blood or vascular tissue samples, would be ideal candidates to contribute to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without giant cell arteritis or those seeking an immediate treatment benefit are unlikely to gain direct clinical improvement from this primarily mechanistic research.
What this research studies
This research examines immune cells from patients with giant cell arteritis to see how high NOTCH activity changes cell metabolism. Investigators will measure enzymes like succinate dehydrogenase, track succinate release, and study how that signal affects nearby blood vessel cells and macrophages. Work uses patient-derived blood and tissue samples alongside laboratory experiments to trace how these changes could cause vessel wall damage, aneurysm, or dissection. The goal is to connect a specific immune signaling pathway to the complications people with large-vessel vasculitis experience.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, this could point to new treatment targets to stop damaging blood-vessel inflammation and reduce risk of aneurysm, dissection, vision loss, or stroke.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has found abnormal NOTCH1 in immune cells from GCA patients, but linking NOTCH-driven succinate release to vessel damage is a newer, still-emerging idea.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weyand, Cornelia M. — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Weyand, Cornelia M.
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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.