Ghrelin to protect the intestines from radiation
Ghrelin as Radiation Countermeasure: Mechanism of Its Action
Giving the stomach hormone ghrelin to protect the gut and improve survival after severe radiation exposure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11241165 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project develops human ghrelin as a medicine to prevent or reduce gut damage after high-dose radiation using preclinical models. Researchers will give ghrelin in animal partial-body radiation models, map how it acts through the brain and the vagus nerve, and measure effects on gut stem cells and tissue repair. The team will establish dose-response, safety signals in animals, and mechanisms involving cholinergic receptors on intestinal stem cells. Results will guide whether ghrelin can move into human trials as a mitigation treatment for gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Future trial candidates would be people at risk of or exposed to high-dose radiation who face gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome (for example after radiation accidents or specific radiation exposures).
Not a fit: People whose problems are unrelated to radiation-induced gut injury or whose radiation damage is limited to non-gastrointestinal systems may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, ghrelin could become a therapy to reduce intestinal injury and improve survival after severe radiation exposure.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal work, including the team's preliminary studies, showed ghrelin improved intestinal integrity and markedly increased survival, but human testing has not yet been done.
Where this research is happening
Manhasset, United States
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research — Manhasset, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Ping — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Wang, Ping
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 below.