Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine a $462,000 Project Grant under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028. The grant funds research investigating therapeutic interventions to reduce brain injury and hydrocephalus in premature neonates suffering from intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The research employs two primary treatment strategies: (1) administration of tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) encapsulated in lipid nanovesicles for targeted clot lysis in the brain ventricles to reduce post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, and (2) inhibition of fibrinogen binding to microglial integrin receptors using fibrin-derived peptides or monoclonal antibodies to prevent inflammation-mediated white matter injury. Both approaches target fibrin accumulation, which is implicated in obstructive and communicating hydrocephalus and post-hemorrhagic white matter injury following IVH.

The research is being conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine's facility in Bronx, New York. The project represents NINDS's mission to support extramural research exploring fundamental brain and nervous system function while developing novel therapeutic approaches to reduce the burden of neurological disease across all populations. This two-year investigation addresses a significant clinical gap by exploring fibrinogen-targeted strategies not previously characterized in IVH-induced complications in neonatal populations.