Helping the Sense of Smell Recover After Injury or Illness
Official title: Improving olfactory neuroplasticity through FAK/CNTF signaling
Funded at East Tennessee State University · NIH-11093436 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for new ways to help people regain their sense of smell when it's lost due to injury, infection, or aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | East Tennessee State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Johnson City, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $370,643 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC020528-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11093436 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is for anyone experiencing a loss of smell due to injury, infection, or aging, as it aims to develop future therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose loss of smell is due to causes other than nerve cell damage or regeneration issues may not directly benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Many people lose their sense of smell after an injury, an infection like COVID-19, or simply as they get older, and currently there are no treatments to help them. Our sense of smell relies on special nerve cells that continuously replace themselves and connect to the brain. This work explores how certain natural signals, specifically FAK and CNTF, control the growth and replacement of these smell-sensing nerve cells. By understanding and potentially adjusting these signals, we hope to find new ways to encourage the nose to heal and restore the sense of smell.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to the first effective treatments for people who have lost their sense of smell.
How similar studies have gone: Currently, there are no established treatments for restoring the sense of smell, making this a novel and much-needed area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jia, Cuihong — East Tennessee State University
- Study coordinator: Jia, Cuihong
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.