Anil Chauhan, MTech, PhD, Professor in Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, received a five-year, $1.75M R01 grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). These funds will help Dr. Chauhan’s team understand the mechanistic role of integrin α9β1 in the pathophysiology of stroke.

If someone has had an ischemic (thrombotic) stroke, reperfusion therapy can help restore blood flow, but abrupt reperfusion is associated with secondary brain damage. “Currently, there are no effective interventions to reduce brain injury following reperfusion therapy.” With this new funding, Dr. Chauhan’s lab will determine if targeting integrin α9β1 will improve outcomes in experimental stroke models with comorbidities, and, thereby, could be developed as a therapeutic strategy toward better management of people at high risk for stroke. In preliminary studies, Dr. Chauhan’s lab found that targeting myeloid-specific α9β1 improved stroke outcome after ischemic-reperfusion injury in mice.

Dr. Chauhan said that although his lab has been continuously funded by the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI), this is the first time he has received NINDS funding. Dr. Chauhan credits “the hard work, effort, dedication, and commitment of the people in my lab, who have demonstrated their ability to go the extra mile” on this success. “I dedicate this award to them, and it is time to celebrate, along with their families.”

Last year, Dr. Chauhan also received a seven-year, $5.3M R35 from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to examine pyruvate kinase M2 as a therapeutic target in stroke management.