Bidirectional brain-gut links in trauma-related brain injury health
Official title: Bidirectional Brain-Gut interactions, chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11385319 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in people (and animal models) explores how brain injury and gut health influence each other to affect long-term brain function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $618,854 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS124687-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385319 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury and those with gut barrier or inflammatory issues that could intersect with brain health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a history of brain injury or gut inflammatory conditions may be less directly impacted by these findings.
What this research studies
This project looks at how traumatic brain injury can lead to ongoing brain inflammation and degeneration, and how problems in the gut might worsen or shape these brain changes. Using a mouse TBI model and related human data, researchers will examine gut barrier function, enteric nervous system activity, and markers of neuroinflammation over time. The goal is to understand whether treating gut issues could reduce chronic brain problems after injury. Results could point to new strategies to protect cognition after traumatic brain injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform therapies that protect or restore brain health after TBI by also supporting gut health.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical evidence suggests brain-gut interactions influence neuroinflammation, but translation to humans is ongoing and this study builds on that link.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Faden, Alan Ira — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Faden, Alan Ira
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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.