NINDS Neuroscience Funding Announcements

Neuroprotective CNS Barriers in Neurological Diseases

Funding Contact(s): Thomas Jacobs, Ph.D.
Funding Categories: Neural Environment

Brief Description:
The goal of this Program Announcement with set-aside funds (PAS) is to invite applications for studying the neurobiological and cerebrovascular mechanisms through which the neuroprotective blood-brain and blood-csf barriers function in the healthy and diseased adult, aged and pediatric brain. Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) research embodies the true meaning of a "translational model" of neuroscience wherein breakthroughs in basic neuroscience are delivered to the clinic and require an agent delivery strategy and/or the ability to target specific areas of the brain. This PAS encourages studies focused on improving our understanding of the neuroprotective CNS barriers and enhancing the effectiveness of drug and gene delivery strategies for treatment of neurological diseases. Chief among the challenges to be addressed is the need to increase our knowledge about the molecular and cellular biology, cells of origin, gene and protein expression, and the regional differences of brain microvascular endothelial cells and pericytes and their interactions with adjacent brain cells.

Grant Mechanism: R01
NIH Guide: PAS-03-165
Release Date: 2003-08-28
Expiration Date: 2006-05-01