The National Institute of Mental Health awarded the University of Florida $535,491 on August 1, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to investigate the mechanisms governing dendritic release of oxytocin in the central nervous system.
The project, titled "Mechanisms Governing Dendritic Release of Oxytocin in the CNS," addresses how oxytocin synthesized in hypothalamic neurons is released not only from axon terminals but also from dendrites, creating local and volume-transmitted paracrine signals that modulate fear conditioning, stress response, anxiety, maternal behavior, sexual behavior, and social recognition. The research aims to advance understanding of how dendritic release is regulated, with implications for therapeutic targeting of central oxytocin receptors to overcome limitations of current exogenous agonists that face blood-brain barrier impermeability and inability to mimic natural oxytocin concentration and kinetic profiles. The project examines the complex relationship between soma-initiated action potential firing and calcium-dependent dendritic oxytocin release, including the role of previously unidentified dendritic osmosensors in modulating dendritic conductivity.
Work is performed in Gainesville, Florida. The award period runs from August 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031. The assistance type is a Project Grant, which supports a specified project period not to exceed five years under NIMH's standard grant structure.