How cell receptors control blood-vessel inflammation
Official title: Cell signaling by G protein-coupled receptors
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11522501 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how certain cell receptors keep signaling from inside cells and how that can cause inflammation in blood vessels for people with vascular conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2018 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $40,798 |
| NIH project number | 3R35GM127121-09S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11522501 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with vascular inflammatory conditions such as atherosclerosis, vasculitis, or other cardiovascular diseases would be the most relevant group for future studies arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatment or those without vascular inflammation are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
The team at UC San Diego studies G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), common cell receptors that can keep sending signals after they are taken into the cell. They will identify how adding or removing a small tag called ubiquitin controls a key inflammatory pathway (p38 MAPK) and how the regulator ARRDC3 acts on endosomes. The lab uses molecular and cell-based experiments and likely animal models to find the proteins and steps that drive vascular inflammation. Learning these steps may point to new targets for drugs that reduce harmful inflammation in blood vessels.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets to prevent or reduce blood-vessel inflammation that contributes to heart attack, stroke, and other vascular diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab studies have shown GPCRs can signal from endosomes and link to inflammation, but turning those findings into new therapies is still early and largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Trejo, Joann — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Trejo, Joann
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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.