Stress on tiny brain blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease
Microvascular Stress as a Pathway to Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's
Researchers are comparing changes in small brain blood vessels from people with Alzheimer's and mouse models to see how vessel stress may harm the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295401 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will use brain tissue collected through the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and mouse models to track when and where tiny blood vessels show signs of stress as amyloid and tau build up. The team will measure blood proteins and microdissect individual "leaky" and "non-leaky" vessels to identify molecular changes tied to blood-brain barrier failure. They will also alter gene activity in the cells that line blood vessels in mice to test whether specific vessel stressors cause Alzheimer’s-like pathology. Together these steps aim to map vascular changes that may drive neurodegeneration and point to targets to protect the brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults (often 65+) with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia who are enrolled in or can donate brain tissue to the Massachusetts ADRC.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's or those looking for an immediate treatment are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit because the work focuses on tissue and animal experiments to understand disease mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new ways to protect small brain vessels or the blood-brain barrier and so slow or prevent cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse studies have linked vascular stress pathways to amyloid and tau, but translating those findings into human treatments remains early and this combined human-tissue plus animal-manipulation approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bennett, Rachel Elise — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Bennett, Rachel Elise
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.