Brain-derived exosomes to detect and track newborn oxygen-related brain injury
Official title: Central Nervous System Derived Exosomes: A Novel Source of Biomarkers for Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11311942 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for tiny brain-derived particles in newborns who had low oxygen at birth to help predict how they'll recover and whether cooling will help.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | June 23, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $665,592 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD105055-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311942 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns with suspected hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (perinatal oxygen deprivation), particularly those identified within hours of birth and considered for therapeutic hypothermia, are the intended candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Infants without perinatal oxygen injury, those presenting after the early clinical treatment window, or families who decline sampling are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
From a parent's perspective, doctors will collect small blood samples from newborns at several time points during the first hours and days after suspected oxygen-related brain injury, including while babies receive therapeutic cooling. The team will isolate CNS-derived exosomes—tiny vesicles that cross the blood-brain barrier and carry markers from neurons and astrocytes—and analyze proteins and other signals they contain. Researchers will compare exosome marker patterns between infants who do well and those who later have disability to find signatures that predict treatment response and outcome. The goal is a non-invasive blood-based way to track brain injury timing and severity and guide early treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a blood test to identify infants unlikely to respond to cooling and help guide earlier or different neuroprotective treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Prior biomarker studies in HIE have not yet produced a widely used clinical test, and using CNS-derived exosomes is a newer approach with promising early results but not yet proven in clinical practice.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goetzl, Laura — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Goetzl, Laura
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Brain support cells in newborn brain injury after birth asphyxia
This grant studies how brain-supporting cells called pericytes affect brain damage after a newborn experiences a lack of oxygen at birth, with potential to guide new treatments.
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Neonatal brain health: using a new NIRS approach to guide cooling therapy in newborns with HIE
A new NIH-funded approach aims to use bedside brain oxygen and blood flow measurements to personalize cooling therapy for babies with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
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Personalized care for newborns with oxygen-related brain injury (HIE)
We are creating a combined MRI and clinical tool to better predict long-term outcomes for newborns who had low oxygen to the brain (neonatal HIE).
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Understanding the Link Between Maternal Infection and Brain Injury in Newborns
This project aims to better understand how infections during pregnancy might affect a newborn's brain and lead to conditions like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
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Improving Cooling Treatment for Newborn Brain Injury
This project looks for better ways to guide cooling treatment for newborns who have experienced brain injury due to lack of oxygen.
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A wearable device to monitor brain health in newborns with oxygen deprivation
This study is testing a new, affordable wearable device that helps doctors keep an eye on the brain health of newborns with a condition called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) by measuring important markers in real-time, so they can act quickly to help these babies.
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.