Support cells and scarring around brain blood vessels in cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Perivascular fibroblasts, vascular fibrosis, and their contributions to cerebral amyloid angiopathy
This work looks at whether support cells and scarring in brain blood vessels help cause or worsen cerebral amyloid angiopathy in people with or at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-10795755 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine brain tissue from people who had CAA and use mouse models that develop CAA-like vessel changes after receiving human-derived amyloid seeds. They will focus on perivascular fibroblasts (support cells around blood vessels) and fibrotic signaling such as TGFβ1 to see how these cells change and contribute to amyloid buildup and vessel scarring. Lab experiments will track molecular markers of fibrosis and vessel damage and compare findings between human samples and animal models. The goal is to connect specific cell changes and signaling pathways to the vessel problems seen in CAA.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy or Alzheimer's disease who are willing to donate tissue, join related observational studies, or be considered for future treatments would be most relevant.
Not a fit: People without CAA or whose symptoms are caused by unrelated brain or vascular conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatment targets to prevent vessel scarring, lower the risk of brain bleeds, and slow vascular contributions to dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and tissue studies have suggested TGFβ1 and fibrotic signaling can lead to vessel amyloid, so this work builds on those findings while probing the specific cell and molecular mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lippmann, Ethan — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Lippmann, Ethan
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.