T cells and the gut microbiome in inherited frontotemporal dementia
Official title: Identifying T cell determinants of heritable Frontotemporal dementia
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11306600 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether shifting immune T cells and gut microbiome signals can help people with inherited frontotemporal dementia linked to C9ORF72 mutations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $584,649 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085316-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306600 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people who carry the C9ORF72 repeat expansion or have a clinical diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and can provide blood and stool samples.
✕Less likely to help
People whose dementia is not linked to C9ORF72 mutations or who cannot provide samples may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will compare immune T cell types and gut microbes in people who carry the C9ORF72 repeat expansion and in control participants. They will analyze blood and stool samples to see how the mutation and microbiome signals change the balance between regulatory T cells and inflammatory Th17 cells. Laboratory models and patient-derived samples will be used to test approaches that boost regulatory T cells or reduce Th17-driven inflammation. The goal is to find immune- or microbiome-related ways to slow or prevent nerve cell damage in inherited FTD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to immune-based or microbiome-targeted therapies that slow symptom progression in people with C9ORF72-related frontotemporal dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked immune changes and the gut microbiome to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, but targeting Treg/Th17 balance specifically in C9ORF72-related FTD is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burberry, Aaron — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Burberry, Aaron
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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.