How brain cleanup after injury works and what helps it
Official title: Regulation of efferocytosis in the brain following traumatic injury
Funded at East Carolina University · NIH-11386662 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how brain cleaning cells remove dead cells after a traumatic brain injury and whether a protein called MERTK helps or hinders this process to support recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | East Carolina University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Greenville, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $389,800 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140268-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386662 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with acute traumatic brain injury or related acquired brain injuries who could benefit from improved recovery strategies.
✕Less likely to help
This research does not involve directly testing a therapy in patients during the grant period.
What this research studies
After a traumatic brain injury, inflammation and cell death happen together. The project looks at efferocytosis, the process by which immune cells clear dead cells, to see how it heals over time in the brain. By studying microglia and peripheral macrophages in a mouse model, the team will track how efferocytosis changes from the early to the late stages after injury and how MERTK signaling affects this clearance. The goal is to identify ways to improve inflammation resolution and tissue repair to support better outcomes for patients with brain trauma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets to enhance brain repair after injury and reduce long-term problems from traumatic brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies suggest that efferocytosis and MERTK signaling influence brain injury recovery, but human evidence is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
East Carolina University
Greenville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Soliman, Eman — East Carolina University
- Study coordinator: Soliman, Eman
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.