Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Boston Children's Hospital a $489,500 Project Grant under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program, effective March 1, 2026, through February 29, 2028. This award funds investigator-initiated basic and translational research examining neurotransmitter-based regulation of the choroid plexus blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. The research will investigate how excessive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate impairs choroid plexus barrier integrity through metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 (mGluR8) signaling mechanisms and will utilize advanced two-photon imaging methodologies to visualize cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulation in choroid plexus epithelial cells at subcellular resolution.

The project addresses a significant gap in understanding the causal relationship between abnormal CSF neurotransmitter levels and choroid plexus pathology observed in neurological and psychiatric disorders. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying glutamate-mediated barrier dysfunction, this research has potential implications for developing therapeutic interventions targeting neurotransmitter signaling pathways in neurological disease. The award supports basic research infrastructure, personnel, and specialized equipment necessary to conduct cellular and in vivo imaging studies at a pediatric research institution with established expertise in collaborative neuroscience research.