Understanding Chronic Wasting Disease and its potential risks to humans
Official title: Comprehensive Phenotypic Profiling of Chronic Wasting Disease to Assess Transmissibility and Species Barriers
Funded at Mc Laughlin Research Institute · NIH-11004642 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at Chronic Wasting Disease in deer to understand how it works and if it could ever spread to humans, using specially designed mice to help find better ways to spot and manage the disease early on.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mc Laughlin Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Great Falls, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $360,000 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM152335-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11004642 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have been exposed to cervids or are at risk of exposure to Chronic Wasting Disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have any exposure to cervids or are not at risk of developing CWD will likely not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), an infectious prion disease affecting deer and other cervids, by using mouse models to analyze the disease's characteristics and its potential to transmit to humans. The study aims to establish detailed phenotypic profiles of CWD in these models, which includes assessing behavior and tracking clinical biomarkers to improve early diagnosis and management strategies. Additionally, the research will explore the transmissibility of CWD to humans through specially engineered mice that mimic human genetic traits. This comprehensive approach seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps in understanding CWD and its zoonotic potential.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved diagnostic tools and management strategies for Chronic Wasting Disease, potentially reducing risks to human health.
How similar studies have gone: While research on prion diseases is ongoing, this specific approach using mouse models to assess CWD's transmissibility to humans is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Mc Laughlin Research Institute
Great Falls, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grindeland, Andrea Lee — Mc Laughlin Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Grindeland, Andrea Lee
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How vaginal lipids, antioxidants, and protective molecules affect menopause-related genitourinary symptoms across races
Researchers are tracking vaginal and blood chemicals in postmenopausal women of different races to learn how lipid, antioxidant, and osmoprotectant molecules relate to genitourinary menopause symptoms.
-
Misfolded insulin and disrupted insulin signaling
This project looks at whether misshapen (misfolded) insulin interferes with insulin action in adults with type 2 diabetes.
-
Understanding chronic wasting disease and its risk to people and other animals
Scientists will use specially engineered mice to learn how chronic wasting disease develops and whether it could jump from deer to people.
-
SOD1 protein and Parkinson's disease
Looks at whether clumps of the SOD1 protein occur with alpha-synuclein clumps and may make Parkinson's disease worse in people who have it.
-
Altering tiny eye-cell particles to protect and restore the aging retina
The team is testing whether changing tiny particles released by retinal support cells can help protect or restore vision for people with age-related macular degeneration.
-
Understanding how APOE genes and neutrophils affect aging and brain health
This grant looks at how a specific APOE gene variant may drive inflammation and cognitive decline in aging, with a focus on neutrophils and gut/immune interactions.
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.