Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston received a $429,000 Project Grant 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), awarded April 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2028. This research project investigates the role of skull bone marrow-derived neutrophils in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and delayed neurological decline. The research addresses a critical clinical gap by examining whether peripheral or skull neutrophils represent the optimal therapeutic target for SAH intervention, with the objective of identifying safer, more targeted approaches to neutrophil depletion that avoid systemic immunosuppression while preventing microvessel occlusion, vasospasm, and blood-brain barrier disruption.

The grant supports fundamental research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying preferential neutrophil mobilization from skull bone marrow following brain injury and to evaluate the comparative contributions of peripheral versus skull-derived neutrophils to post-SAH pathology. Deliverables include experimental findings, scientific publications, and data supporting the potential clinical translation of targeted skull bone marrow neutrophil depletion as a therapeutic intervention for SAH patients. This research advances NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease by providing mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets for a serious neurological condition affecting approximately 30% of SAH survivors.