# Developmental Origin and Trafficking of Microglial Cells

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $458,455

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Microglial cells are resident innate immune cells in the brain and exhibit dynamic changes in morphology and
distribution during gestation. They can regulate diverse programs that are essential for normal brain
development and function, and recent studies have shown that in the developing brain microglia regulate key
processes including synapse development, axonal path finding, and cortical layer formation. We have shown
that microglia regulate cell production through phagocytosis of neural precursor cells. However, it is currently
not known how microglial cell lineage(s) correlate with colonization of the brain or the cellular function of
microglial cells in the developing brain, particularly in relation to neural precursor cells. The studies proposed in
this application are designed to address significant gaps in our knowledge on the trafficking and seeding of
microglial cell populations during critical windows of nonhuman primate brain development. These studies will
generate new insights into normal development that are critical to our understanding of ontogeny and will
directly address the goals of PAS-18-483 in a translational nonhuman primate model through the following
Specific Aims: (1) Evaluate the role of yolk sac precursor cells in contributing to the microglial cells that
populate the fetal rhesus monkey cerebral cortex; (2) Determine the role of clonal lineage(s) in regional
colonization of the cerebral cortex and function of cortical microglia; and (3) Define temporal dynamics that
impact the distribution and function of clonal microglia. Together the proposed studies will address
fundamental gaps in our understanding of factors that regulate colonization of the cerebral cortex by microglial
cells, and the impact microglial cell function has on the developing brain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9972964
- **Project number:** 5R01NS109379-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephen Charles Noctor
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $458,455
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9972964

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9972964, Developmental Origin and Trafficking of Microglial Cells (5R01NS109379-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9972964. Licensed CC0.

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