Neurovascular, BBB, and Clearance Pathways – NVBC

Topics

• Cerebrovascular factors and dysfunction involved in in pathogenesis and pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. Link of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and ADRD including VICD.
• Abeta and other toxic protein clearance impairment in ADRD. Glymphatic and lymphatic system dysfunction involved in aging and neurodegeneration
• Hypoxic/ischemic and traumatic brain injuries that lead to ADRD and neurodegeneration as a result of BBB dysfunction and lack of clearance.
• Use of in vitro and in vivo BBB and neurovascular models for the study of their function in normal and disease states.
• Cellular and molecular studies of neurovascular unit coupling and cerebrovascular function in normal and disease states, CNS disorders and studies that characterize changes in BBB or neurovascular function, vascular remodeling, angiogenesis, and the cell types involved (endothelial cells, pericytes, BAMs).
• Triggers of blood-brain barrier breakdown and impact on disease.
• Ways to increase blood-brain barrier permeability and/or reduce efflux of therapies; ways to optimize the uptake of molecules including exosomes, nanoparticles and peptides into the CNS or across the blood-nerve barrier. 

• Drug and therapy delivery across the blood-brain barrier, including screening studies to identify candidate therapies with better CNS penetration and proof of concept studies. 

• Reducing BBB or neurovascular damage after disease or trauma and developing therapies to restore function. 

• Abeta immunotherapy-induced amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) 

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There is significant shared interest between BIND and NVBC in studies that are on neurovascular disorders, injury and circuit disorders. BIND reviews applications on neurovascular disorders, stroke, injury and circuit disorders when they are human subjects. Applications that are preclinical, mechanistic, investigate cellular mechanism of these disorders and injury are reviewed in NVBC.

There is some overlap between NVBC and CPN in applications on stroke and injury. Studies on neurovascular Injury, impact on blood brain barrier are reviewed in NVBC. TBI and stroke applications that focus on post-stroke recovery, adult neurogenesis are reviewed in CPN.

There is some overlap between DBD and NVBC in applications that study different injuries of the brain and nervous system. Applications on brain and neuronal injury, hypoxic/ischemic injury that affect the developing brain in prenatal, neonatal or pediatric population are reviewed in DBD. Applications on these injuries in an adult system are reviewed in NVBC.

There is significant shared interest between NVBC and NPA-81. Both panels review applications on mechanistic, pre-clinical and translational injury and neurovascular disorders. NPA-81 primarily focuses on mechanistic aspects and model development of these areas while NVBC primarily reviews applications that emphasize the role of BBB and clearance in these disorders.

There is some shared interest between NVBC and NPA-85study section in applications studying neurovascular disorders, brain and neuronal injury. Applications that investigate mechanisms of these disorders in context of BBB and clearance and test potential therapies in animal models are reviewed in NVBC. Application that emphasizes the role of immune system or inflammation in driving or in context of brain injury, stroke, VCID or ischemia maybe reviewed in SEP NPA-85.

There is some shared interest between RFTN and NVBC. Both panels review applications that study neurodegeneration in context of injury and neurovascular disorder. NVBC will review applications that emphasize on the mechanistic aspect of the injury or neurovascular disorder that leads to neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment, while RFTN reviews applications that assess the risk factors (genetic, epigenetic environmental) that are responsible for neurogenerative disorder

There is some shared interest between BTEN and NVBC on applications that study BBB and neurovascular disorders. The applications that focus on technology development, drug delivery are reviewed in BTEN while applications with a mechanistic or preclinical focus are reviewed in NVBC.

There is shared interest in DBTD and NVBC on applications studying BBB. DBTD reviewed applications that study fundamental aspects of gene and drug delivery including delivery vehicle development, targeting strategies, and biological barriers using a bioengineering focus. Applications that specifically focus on the delivery to the brain, including strategies to cross the blood-brain barrier may be reviewed in NVBC.

There is some shared interest between Innovations in Nanosystems and Nanotechnology (INN) and NVBC on applications with nanoparticles delivery across BBB. INN focuses on fundamental development of new enabling materials that take advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials towards biomedical applications. Applications that focus on biological delivery of nanoparticles or proof of concept studies of nano-delivery across the blood-brain barrier may be reviewed in NVBC.

There is some shared interest between NVBC and BMGS in applications on BBB and neurovascular disorders. BMGS reviews studies involving formation and function of the blood brain barrier and the extended neurovascular unit including pericytes and astrocytes that interact with the blood brain barrier, cerebral microvascular function, and glial responses to ischemia and stroke. Studies involving the role of glial cells within the context of the BBB and neurovascular unit are reviewed in NVBC.