Carbon quantum dots to protect the brain from pesticide-related damage
Official title: Development and testing of Carbon Quantum Dot architectures to arrest neurotoxicant-insult- related outcomes
Funded at University of Texas El Paso · NIH-11161502 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests tiny carbon nanoparticles made from biowaste to protect nerve cells from pesticide-driven damage linked to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas El Paso NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (El Paso, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $153,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM145575-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161502 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
In the future, the best candidates would likely be people with a history of pesticide exposure or those in early stages of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or Huntington’s disease.
✕Less likely to help
People without relevant environmental toxicant exposure or those with very advanced neurodegenerative disease may be less likely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will make carbon quantum dots using green methods and chemically modify them, then use lab-grown cells and animal models exposed to common pesticides to see if the dots reduce oxidative stress, prevent harmful protein clumping, and preserve nerve-cell function. They will measure mitochondrial health, levels of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, proteasome activity, and protein aggregates such as alpha-synuclein and amyloid-β, and will look for improvements in behavior in animal models. The current work is preclinical and does not recruit human volunteers, but is focused on mechanisms directly tied to human neurodegenerative diseases. Promising results could support future development of treatments or protective therapies for people exposed to environmental neurotoxicants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to new therapies that reduce pesticide-driven neuron loss and help prevent or slow neurodegenerative disease onset.
How similar studies have gone: Carbon quantum dots have shown antioxidant and cell-protective effects in laboratory studies, but they remain largely untested in human neurodegenerative disease contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas El Paso
El Paso, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Narayan, Mahesh — University of Texas El Paso
- Study coordinator: Narayan, Mahesh
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.