Targeting new molecular pathways to improve brain health after chronic reduced blood flow
Official title: Targeting novel molecular pathways to improve neurological outcomes after chronic hypoperfusion-induced ischemic brain injury
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11412233 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A lab-led project tests new molecular targets to protect brain blood vessels and improve thinking skills in people affected by vascular brain injury due to long-term low blood flow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2026 |
| Project end | September 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RD001196-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11412233 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with vascular cognitive impairment or VCID, particularly veterans with chronic brain hypoperfusion-related injury.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without VCID or chronic hypoperfusion-related brain injury may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how chronic cerebral hypoperfusion damages the brain's blood vessels and contributes to vascular cognitive impairment, aiming to find molecular targets that can preserve the blood-brain barrier and improve blood flow. Researchers will explore the roles of endothelial cells, microglia, and macrophages in inflammation and vascular integrity, and how salt-inducible kinases may influence these processes. The goal is to identify strategies that could slow cognitive decline in veterans with VCID by modulating inflammatory responses in the brain’s vasculature. The work is designed to translate basic findings into approaches that could eventually lead to therapies for people with acquired brain injury due to chronic hypoperfusion.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to therapies that protect brain blood vessels and slow cognitive decline in VCID patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies support targeting neuroinflammation and vascular integrity as promising avenues, but this approach is exploratory and novel in the VCID context.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Jun — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Chen, Jun
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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.