The University of Cincinnati was awarded a $463,425 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, CFDA 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants) to conduct a research study titled "Airway Inflammation and Fear: Elucidating Immune Mediators and Neural Substrates." The study aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which severe asthma-associated factors regulate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-relevant fear and deficits in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex through investigations of the role of IL-17A signaling and SFO-to-IL-PFC projections. The project will utilize unique mouse models of aeroallergen-driven inflammation to assess the necessity of microglial IL-17RA signaling in the subfornical organ for mediating compromised fear extinction. Findings could identify novel risk factors and therapeutic targets for fear-associated pathologies beyond just PTSD in the context of pulmonary conditions.
Generated 3/4/25, 8:19 AM