How an acid-sensitive brain channel (ASIC1a) may cause brain injury in cerebral malaria
Official title: Role of ASIC1a activation in ECM associated brain injury and mortality
Funded at Morehouse School of Medicine · NIH-11330599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether blocking a brain protein called ASIC1a could help protect children with cerebral malaria from brain damage and death.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morehouse School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $177,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI185572-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11330599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with cerebral malaria (especially those under 10) and survivors who have neurological complications would be the main patient groups who could benefit or be candidates for future clinical trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without cerebral malaria—such as those with uncomplicated malaria or unrelated brain conditions—are unlikely to benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
If you or your child had cerebral malaria, this research aims to understand how low pH (acidosis) in the brain damages nerve cells by activating a protein called ASIC1a. The team uses an experimental mouse model of cerebral malaria to mimic the inflammation, tissue injury, and acidosis seen in children. They will test drugs that block ASIC1a activity to see if those drugs reduce brain injury and death in the model. Results could point toward adjunct treatments to use alongside antimalarial drugs to prevent long-term neurological problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to adjunct therapies that lower deaths and reduce lasting brain damage in children with cerebral malaria.
How similar studies have gone: Blocking ASIC1a has shown neuroprotection in animal models of ischemic brain injury, but applying ASIC1a inhibition specifically to cerebral malaria is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xiong, Zhigang — Morehouse School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Xiong, Zhigang
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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.