# Collaborative Research Fund: Development and validation of a viral vector for targeted inhibition of DG granule cells

> **NIH NIH R21** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $39,125

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. Approximately one third of patients are drug-
resistant, underscoring the need for alternative therapies. One of the biggest challenges in developing disease-
modifying therapies is the limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind the initiation and
propagation of seizures. We propose to develop a novel, translational viral vector that targets dentate gyrus (DG)
granule cells, which have been shown to act as a seizure gate. We will make use of a promoter specific to DG
granule cells, Prospero-related homeobox 1 (Prox-1), to selectively express a calcium indicator in these cells.
We expect that the project will provide an invaluable tool to study behaviors of the seizure gate of DG granule
cell. We will first develop the viral vector in the US lab (Aim 1). We will then examine activity of DG granule cells
through fiber photometry in freely behaving mice during spontaneously recurring seizures in the
intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) model of temporal lobe epilepsy in Japan lab (Aim 2). We believe that this
project can help us better understand the mechanisms at play during seizures, as well as improve treatment in
patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. In addition to its utility in epilepsy, a Prox1-driven expression vector could
have potential applications in Alzheimer’s disease and neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in lymphatic and
cancer research.
This international collaboration is a unique combination of the expertise of the two groups, namely development
of molecular tools and applications of such new technologies in an animal model of epilepsy. This effort will
significantly enhance the goals of the parent R21 award.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10931253
- **Project number:** 3R21NS132071-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT E GROSS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $39,125
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10931253

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10931253, Collaborative Research Fund: Development and validation of a viral vector for targeted inhibition of DG granule cells (3R21NS132071-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10931253. Licensed CC0.

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