This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under CFDA Program 93.853, Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, supports research to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying differentiation failure in neuroepithelial stem cells with NF2 mutations. The goal is to identify dysregulated signaling pathways and kinase targets that may prevent progression to spinal ependymoma, a tumor predominantly associated with NF2 gene perturbations. The $190,485 award, provided to the Trustees of Indiana University (doing business as Indiana University Indianapolis), will fund single-cell RNA sequencing, kinome profiling, and pharmacological rescue experiments using an NF2 knockout stem cell model. The results are expected to elucidate the cellular identity and signaling aberrations in pre-neoplastic NF2-deficient cells, potentially leading to novel therapeutic targets to halt tumor formation in patients with NF2-associated cancer predisposition syndromes.
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