Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Washington University $245,874 on July 2, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to support research on reprogramming astrocytes to promote neural repair. The research will be conducted through June 30, 2028, and focuses on developing cell therapy approaches to address spinal cord injuries, a condition affecting approximately 18,000 Americans annually. The project will leverage insights from highly regenerative vertebrate species, particularly adult zebrafish, to identify how glial cells can extend cellular bridges that reconnect lesioned spinal cord tissues without scarring.

The funded research will deliver three primary scientific outputs: (1) characterization of pro-regenerative glial cell reactivity mechanisms in zebrafish spinal cord injury models; (2) identification of transcription regulators through an in vivo CRISPR screen; and (3) reprogramming of human astrocytes into pro-regenerative cells capable of promoting cellular and functional regeneration in mammalian models. These deliverables constitute a zebrafish-inspired human cell therapy platform designed to advance regenerative medicine approaches for neural repair and address the substantial unmet clinical need in treating incurable spinal cord injuries.