Project Grant K99NS146612

This Project Grant award of $121,554.00 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) was granted on February 3, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028. The award supports investigator-initiated research conducted at the University of California, San Diego to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tanycyte barrier formation and function at the median eminence, a specialized brain region critical to neuroendocrine regulation. The research will examine the role of claudin-10, a key tight junction protein, in maintaining barrier integrity and regulating ion permeability, as well as how systemic and central nervous system inflammation disrupts tanycyte-mediated barrier function.

The expected deliverables from this two-year research initiative include scientific findings that advance understanding of circumventricular organ barriers, their distinct functional characteristics compared to other blood-brain barrier regions, and their response to inflammatory conditions. The project aims to provide critical insights into the dynamics of central nervous system barriers and their impact on neuroinflammatory and metabolic disorders, with potential applications for developing therapeutic interventions to address these conditions. The research contributes to NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease through fundamental knowledge generation about brain and nervous system function.