Pericytes and brain blood flow in Alzheimer's
The Role of Pericytes in Brain Hypoperfusion in Alzheimer's Disease Development
This project looks at whether changes in support cells around brain blood vessels (pericytes) and a protein called Fli-1 cause reduced brain blood flow and blood–brain barrier damage in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285245 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will compare brain tissue from people with Alzheimer's and from people without dementia to measure pericyte health and Fli-1 levels. They will grow human brain pericytes in the lab and expose them to Alzheimer-related proteins and inflammatory signals to see how Fli-1 affects cell survival. The team will use antisense oligonucleotide Gapmers to lower Fli-1 in those cells to test whether that prevents pericyte death and related damage. These lab and human-tissue approaches aim to reveal whether protecting pericytes could help preserve brain blood flow in Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment and individuals willing to donate brain tissue or biological samples for research.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's or those hoping for an immediate treatment are unlikely to see direct personal benefit from this basic-research project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect blood vessel support cells, preserve brain blood flow, and slow Alzheimer's-related decline.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lab studies, including the team's preliminary work, found higher Fli-1 in Alzheimer's brain tissue and showed that lowering Fli-1 protected cultured pericytes, but translating these findings into patient therapies remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fan, Hongkuan — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Fan, Hongkuan
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.