Gas-filled microbubbles plus ultrasound to protect newborn brains after oxygen loss
Official title: Treatment of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Injury with Echogenic Noble Gas Microbubbles
Funded at New Jersey Institute of Technology · NIH-11374366 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses tiny gas-filled microbubbles and ultrasound to deliver protective gases to newborns who suffered oxygen-deprived brain injury (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New Jersey Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, United States) |
| Project start | May 6, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $426,456 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NS142731-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11374366 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The approach is aimed at newborn infants who have experienced hypoxic-ischemic events around the time of birth and are at risk for HIE.
✕Less likely to help
Babies with brain injury from other causes, those outside the immediate treatment window after the injury, or infants with severe congenital anomalies are less likely to benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers plan to carry noble gases (xenon and argon) inside tiny echogenic microbubbles that circulate in the bloodstream and release their gas payload when focused ultrasound is applied. The idea is to target the injured areas of a newborn's brain so the protective gases cross the blood-brain barrier and act locally, limiting exposure to the rest of the body. The team will test this approach in laboratory and animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury to measure effects on cell death and brain protection. This is early-stage work aimed at developing a treatment that could move to human testing if results are promising.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce brain damage and lower the risk of long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy and seizures in affected newborns.
How similar studies have gone: Xenon inhalation has shown promise including early clinical work and argon has protective effects in animal studies, but delivering these gases via microbubbles with ultrasound is a novel method not yet tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chattaraj, Rajarshi — New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Chattaraj, Rajarshi
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.