Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded $236,250 to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) on May 15, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2028. This R21 Project Grant supports research investigating the relationship between T cell senescence and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a common acquired autoimmune neuropathy with increased prevalence in elderly populations. The research will generate scientific knowledge regarding how senescence-associated CD4+ T cells contribute to peripheral nervous system autoimmunity by inducing dysfunction in Schwann cells.

The award funds two primary research objectives: (1) determining how senescent T cells alter Schwann cell phenotype through adoptive transfer studies in mouse models and through in vitro exposure of human Schwann cell lines to conditioned media from CIDP patient T cells, and (2) evaluating disease protection conferred by senomorphic agent ruxolitinib in mouse models and patient samples. The research outputs will advance understanding of autoimmune mechanisms in CIDP and identify potential therapeutic approaches using senomorphic therapies to benefit CIDP patients, thereby contributing to NINDS's mission of reducing the burden of neurological disease across all populations.