Gut signals that affect brain injury health
Official title: Gut Serotonergic Signaling in Traumatic Brain Injury
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11384630 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how gut serotonin signaling may influence outcomes after traumatic brain injury and could reveal new ways to help people recover.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $523,646 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140167-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384630 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury and are willing to participate in studies examining gut-brain interactions and related biomarkers.
✕Less likely to help
Some participants may not experience direct benefits during the study, as the research focuses on basic mechanisms and may not lead to immediate therapies for all.
What this research studies
After a traumatic brain injury, inflammation in the brain and body can worsen recovery. This research investigates how serotonin produced in the gut, and its signaling to the brain, may contribute to neuroinflammation after injury. The team will study gut enteroendocrine cells, their serotonin production, and how injury changes gut immune and microbial interactions, aiming to connect these gut changes to brain health. By exploring gut-brain communication, the study hopes to identify targets that could mitigate inflammation and improve outcomes for individuals with acquired brain injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new strategies to reduce brain inflammation after injury and improve recovery and quality of life for patients with acquired brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests gut serotonin and microbiome influence neuroinflammation, but this project investigates a novel gut-brain axis in the context of TBI.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nasr, Isam — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Nasr, Isam
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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.