High-resolution imaging of damaged brain fats after traumatic brain injury
Lipid Imaging in Traumatic Brain Injury by High Resolution GCIB-secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
This project uses a new high-resolution imaging method to map damaged fats in brain cells after a traumatic brain injury to find which cells die and why.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177800 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work combines a powerful mass-spectrometry imaging technique (GCIB-SIMS) with lanthanide-tagged antibodies to map many different phospholipids and oxidized lipids at subcellular resolution in injured brain tissue. By mapping proteins and lipids on the same tissue section, researchers can identify which cell types show lipid peroxidation linked to ferroptosis. They also use liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry redox lipidomics to quantify specific oxidized lipids and study enzymes like 15-LOX and ACSL4 that may drive cell death. The aim is to explain why some brain cells are more sensitive to lipid-driven death after TBI and point to targets that could prevent damage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for related future studies would include people who have experienced recent moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury or who can donate brain tissue or biospecimens for research.
Not a fit: Because this is a basic imaging and molecular study, people seeking immediate clinical treatment will not receive direct medical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify molecular targets to prevent lipid-driven cell death after TBI and guide new treatments to limit brain damage.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lipidomics and mass-spectrometry imaging work has linked lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis to brain injury, but this exact high-resolution GCIB-SIMS plus antibody-mapping approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bayir, Hülya — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Bayir, Hülya
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.