Diseases of the brain’s blood vessels – so-called neurovascular diseases – are the world’s second leading cause of death and a major driver of long-term disability and dementia. Despite their enormous impact, only few targeted treatment options exist. The new CRC 1744 CCN in NVD (Compartmentalized Cellular Networks in Neurovascular Diseases) aims to change this. The CRC seeks to unravel the fundamental mechanisms of these diseases and lay the groundwork for innovative therapies.

The CRC is jointly led by Prof. Martin Dichgans, Director of the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) at LMU University Hospital, and Prof. Arthur Liesz, Head of the Stroke Immunology Laboratory (also ISD, LMU University Hospital). Both are also members of our SyNergy Cluster.

At the heart of the research initiative lies a fundamental insight: the brain is far more compartmentalized than previously thought. Within these distinct compartments, vascular, immune, and glial cells work together in finely tuned networks. These compartmentalized cellular networks (CCNs) are crucial for maintaining and protecting neurons – and may hold the key to understanding many neurovascular diseases.