Expansion-enabled skull-programmed monocytes for traumatic brain injury with human brain organoid validation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to long-term problems because the brain?s response to injury often includes ongoing inflammation and damage to nearby cells. Recent studies suggest that immune cells from the skull bone marrow may travel to the injured brain and help with repair, but their role is still not well understood. This project will study whether these skull-derived immune cells respond to brain injury in a helpful way and whether they can reduce damage after injury. We will examine this in both a mouse model of TBI and in lab-grown human brain organoids, which allow us to study how these cells interact with human brain tissue. This work may reveal a new source of protective immune cells and lay the groundwork for future treatments aimed at improving recovery after brain injury.

VIVO