How astrocytes' changing connections influence seizure development after brain injury
Dynamic temporal regulation of astrocyte coupling to shape neuronal activity during acquired epilepsy development
This project tests whether turning astrocyte connections up or down at different times can change the brain activity that leads to seizures, aiming to help people who develop epilepsy after a brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285157 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is changing how astrocytes — the brain's support cells — connect with each other by turning a protein called Connexin43 (Cx43) on or off. They use engineered viral tools to switch coupling for different lengths of time and at different stages after a brain injury in lab models. While monitoring neuronal activity and seizure-like events, they compare what happens when coupling is reduced, restored briefly, or kept normal. Their goal is to find when and how changing astrocyte connections makes seizures more or less likely, which could point to new treatment timing or targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have had a traumatic brain injury and are at risk of developing epilepsy, or who have newly acquired epilepsy after a brain injury, would be the most relevant group for future trials informed by this work.
Not a fit: People with genetic forms of epilepsy or seizure disorders not linked to brain injury or astrocyte dysfunction may not benefit from approaches based on this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal timing and targets for new treatments to prevent or reduce seizures after traumatic brain injury.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies gave mixed results about whether reducing astrocyte coupling helps or harms seizure risk, so using time-controlled tools to change coupling is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Robel, Stefanie — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Robel, Stefanie
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.