Role of brain-resident and incoming immune cells in inflammatory brain damage
Official title: Enabled by drug delivery: Studying the role of brain-resident and infiltrating myeloid cell phenotype in brain damage associated with inflammatory disease
Funded at University of Oklahoma · NIH-11144336 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team uses targeted drug-delivery tools to find out whether brain‑resident microglia or incoming blood immune cells drive brain damage in people after injury, infection, or autoimmune disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norman, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $373,297 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM150970-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11144336 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had recent traumatic brain injury, viral brain infection, or autoimmune conditions affecting the brain (for example multiple sclerosis) would be most relevant to this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose brain problems stem mainly from non‑inflammatory causes, such as purely genetic or degenerative diseases without immune involvement, may not benefit from these approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers created a biodegradable nanogel that can deliver proteins specifically to macrophages to turn immune cells on or off and then watch what happens in the brain. In mouse models of traumatic injury and inflammatory disease they will activate blood monocytes and neutrophils to see if those cells enter the brain and worsen damage, and they will compare that to chronic activation of microglia already living in the brain. The project combines targeted drug delivery, immune cell tracking, and tissue analysis to map which myeloid cell types cause acute brain injury. Findings aim to point toward treatments that block harmful immune actions while sparing helpful cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that more precisely block the harmful immune cells that cause brain damage and reduce disability after injury or autoimmune attacks.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting immune cells has shown promise in other animal studies, but using this specific nanogel system to separate the roles of microglia versus infiltrating cells is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oklahoma
Norman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clegg, John R — University of Oklahoma
- Study coordinator: Clegg, John R
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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.