Federal Grant Award Summary

Mayo Clinic received a $443,850 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 June 15, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. The award supports development of a practical, clinically-focused endovascular cooling system designed to provide neuroprotection in acute ischemic stroke patients. The research addresses a critical clinical need, as more than 50% of large vessel occlusion stroke patients fail to achieve good functional outcomes despite recent advances in thrombectomy procedures. The proposed selective brain cooling approach aims to leverage existing procedural catheters used in thrombectomy to deliver targeted hypothermia immediately following clot removal, potentially mitigating neuronal injury and improving patient outcomes.

The project addresses significant limitations in current cooling methodologies, including cold saline warming during transit to target locations, fluid overload complications, and incompatibility with modern high-performance thrombectomy catheters. Mayo Clinic's research and development initiative targets neurointerventionalists, neurointensive care physicians, and perfusionists with an advanced cooling system designed to integrate seamlessly into contemporary stroke intervention workflows. This work aligns with NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease through development of novel therapeutic approaches, with particular emphasis on translational research that bridges bench science to clinical application in acute stroke management.