Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Washington University a Project Grant of $618,108 on June 18, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program. This award supports research investigating neuroinflammation as a pathogenic mechanism in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a leading cause of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia. The research will utilize an investigational positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, 11C-CS1P1, that targets sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) to serve as a tissue-level biomarker of neuroinflammation.

Under this five-year project (concluding May 31, 2031), Washington University will deliver three primary research products: (1) evaluation of the relationship between 11C-CS1P1 PET uptake and neuroimaging abnormalities associated with CSVD and cognitive impairment; (2) assessment of the radiotracer's test-retest repeatability and longitudinal evolution; and (3) determination of whether baseline 11C-CS1P1 PET uptake predicts CSVD progression. The research builds upon preliminary findings demonstrating significant associations between radiotracer uptake and white matter hyperintensity lesion burden, with potential to advance understanding of CSVD severity, prognosis, and progression mechanisms.