Acid-sensing ion channels: how they change shape and what that means for cancer and the brain
Official title: Acid-Sensing Ion Channel gating: Conformations and Consequences
Funded at University of Rochester · NIH-11509246 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores how acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) change shape and work together in the nervous system and in cancers, to uncover new ways that cells respond to acidity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $415,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM137951-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11509246 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers or neurological conditions related to tissue acidity could benefit from future therapies informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
This basic science project may not directly benefit patients in the short term and involves fundamental mechanistic studies.
What this research studies
The project studies ASICs, which detect acidic conditions and are involved in brain function, pain, inflammation, and cancer. By combining structural methods like cryo-EM with functional tests, researchers aim to map how ASIC subunits rearrange and communicate during activation and desensitization. The goal is to build a clearer model of subunit coordination and cooperative conformational changes. Findings could reveal new targets for treating stroke, pain, and cancer-related processes linked to acidity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding ASIC behavior could lead to new strategies to treat conditions where tissue acidity is a factor, including brain injuries and cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Past structural and functional studies have advanced knowledge of ASIC activation and desensitization, with ongoing work building a more complete cooperative model.
Where this research is happening
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University of Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maclean, David Malcolm — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Maclean, David Malcolm
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.