# Determine transporters at the blood-brain barrier relevant for homeostatic sleep

> **NIH NIH R00** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $23,968

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Circadian clocks are ubiquitous in tissues, regulate many biological functions, and their
misalignment or disruption contributes to deleterious health consequences. Although molecular
underpinning of the circadian clock is well-studied, the role of the clock in tissue-specific biological
functions, such as that of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), is poorly understood. The BBB is an
interface between the vasculature and the brain that both protects the brain from peripheral insults
and allows transports of endogenous molecules. Our recent work has found that the circadian
clock regulates ATPase binding cassette transporter-mediated xenobiotic efflux from the brain.
This proposal examines the mechanisms of BBB regulation of endogenous ligands and its
relevance to behaviors such as sleep. Based on published and preliminary data, we
hypothesize that the BBB clock influences behavior through transporter-regulated endogenous
ligands. To pursue these aims, we will use a combination of molecular assays (qPCR, intracellular
ion measurements, metabolomics) and behavioral sleep assays. Successful completion of this
project will offer important advances in understanding the effects of the BBB transport and sleep.
First, it will provide new insights into the regulation of sleep behavior. Second, it will identify novel
endogenous sleep-promoting compounds. Understanding the temporal gating of the BBB and its
effects on behavior under pathophysiologic conditions is important for developing interventions to
improve human health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10548484
- **Project number:** 3R00HL147212-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Shirley Zhang
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $23,968
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10548484

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10548484, Determine transporters at the blood-brain barrier relevant for homeostatic sleep (3R00HL147212-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10548484. Licensed CC0.

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