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Mural stem cells in normal development and germinal matrix hemorrhage in the preterm human brain

Award Number: K08NS116161
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2025

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Mural stem cells in normal development and germinal matrix hemorrhage in the preterm human brain - PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY Brain blood vessel cells play key roles in both physiological and pathological states. Endothelial and mural cells compose the main structural and functional elements of the vasculature. Mural cells, which lie outside of endothelial cells, are critical for the development of the blood brain barrier and regulate blood flow in response to neuronal activity. However, most studies of brain blood vessels use adult mice and therefore little is known about the developing vasculature or human brain blood vessels at any age. These knowledge gaps preferentially affect preterm infants, who are prone to develop hemorrhages specifically located in brain regions called the ganglionic eminences (GE). These hemorrhages confer high risk for permanent brain injury, and we have no treatments. To molecularly define the stages and subtypes of mural cells in the developing human brain, I developed a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) strategy followed by single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). These data revealed distinct stages of mural cell development from a relatively immature stage at 15GW to the emergence of distinct subtypes at 23 GW. Strikingly, this strategy also uncovered a novel progenitor population that express both mural and neural stem cell markers, suggesting a common neurovascular progenitor that contributes to both angiogenesis and neurogenesis. In the GE, immunohistochemistry with putative neurovascular progenitor markers revealed these cells in a periventricular and perivascular location situated amongst canonical neural stem cells. Consistent with these results, FACS-purified mural cells produce both vascular and neural lineage cells in vitro. In sum, the above experiments lead me to hypothesize that mural cells contribute to both angiogenesis and neurogenesis during development and that a predominance of immature stages of mural cells in the GE contributes to the pathogenesis of hemorrhage. My short-term goals for the proposed K08 are the following: 1. Construct an atlas of human brain mural cells during development using scRNAseq and postmortem human tissue. 2. Develop organoid, mouse transplant, and CRISPR tools to manipulate and interrogate the role of specific signaling pathways of mural cells in human brain development. These results will propel me to an R01. As a physician scientist in Neonatal- Perinatal Medicine, I am uniquely suited to advance our understanding of brain vascular development and the application of this knowledge towards future therapy.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $229,878 )
2025	2025	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94103	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	11/21/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$229,878
														Subtotal = $229,878

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $229,878 )
2024	2024	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	11/24/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$229,878
														Subtotal = $229,878

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $229,878 )
2023	2023	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	3	1/4/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$25,000
2023	2023	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	12/9/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$202,878
2023	2023	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	3	1/25/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,000
														Subtotal = $229,878

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $202,878 )
2022	2022	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	12/1/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$202,878
														Subtotal = $202,878

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $202,878 )
2021	2021	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94143	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	11/30/2020	NEW	$202,878
														Subtotal = $202,878

Grand Total All Awards = $1,095,390

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Mural stem cells in normal development and germinal matrix hemorrhage in the preterm human brain

Award Number: K08NS116161

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2025

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