Brain blood vessel changes linked to chronic nerve pain
Official title: Brain Vascular Plasticity in the Context of Peripheral Painful Trauma
Funded at Queens College · NIH-11392860 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how changes in tiny blood vessels in the brain after nerve injury might make pain and related mood or thinking problems worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Queens College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Flushing, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $151,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16NS140306-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392860 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic neuropathic pain (for example diabetic neuropathy, post‑herpetic neuralgia, or pain after nerve injury) are the kinds of patients who might benefit from future clinical work informed by this project.
✕Less likely to help
People with short-term acute pain, pain from non‑neuropathic causes, or those seeking immediate symptom relief are unlikely to get direct benefit from this animal-focused research.
What this research studies
From the patient's perspective, the team uses a mouse model of peripheral neuropathy to mimic long-term nerve pain. They examine tiny brain blood vessels for changes in anatomy, permeability, and blood flow and study how those vascular changes relate to nearby nerve and support cells (neurons and glia). Researchers use imaging, microscopy, and molecular techniques in the lab to track how these changes develop over time. This is lab-based work aimed at understanding mechanisms and does not enroll patients directly, but could point toward new treatment targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that target brain blood vessels to reduce chronic neuropathic pain and its mood or cognitive effects.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies have shown brain circuit changes in chronic pain, but focusing specifically on brain microvasculature is a relatively new approach with limited prior clinical success.
Where this research is happening
-
Queens College
Flushing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tajerian, Maral — Queens College
- Study coordinator: Tajerian, Maral
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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.