How head motor nerves map to organs
Topographic mapping by cranial motor neurons - Renewal - Resubmission - 1
This work looks at how motor nerves in the brainstem (including the vagus nerve) form precise connections to organs like the gut, lungs, heart, throat, and voice muscles, with relevance for people who have breathing, swallowing, digestive, or heart regulation problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306439 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view as a patient, researchers are studying the vagus nerve, which links the brain to organs that control digestion, breathing, heart rate, swallowing, and speech. They use animal models such as zebrafish and molecular genetics to label motor neurons, watch how those neurons grow and where they connect, and test genes that may guide their wiring. The team combines high-resolution imaging, gene-expression profiling, and targeted manipulations to see how neurons that serve the same organ become grouped together. Their goal is to explain how accurate nerve maps are built during development and how wiring errors could contribute to disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with conditions affecting the vagus-controlled functions—such as swallowing disorders, vocal problems, certain digestive motility issues, autonomic dysfunction, or respiratory/heart regulation problems—would be most likely to benefit from the findings in the long term.
Not a fit: Patients seeking an immediate clinical treatment or enrollment in a therapeutic trial should not expect direct benefit, since the project is basic laboratory research primarily using animal models.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal mechanisms that lead to better-targeted therapies or neuromodulation approaches for disorders of swallowing, voice, digestion, breathing, or heart control.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that vagus motor neurons are spatially clustered and share gene signatures in adults, but the developmental mechanisms that create this organization remain largely novel and underexplored.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moens, Cecilia B — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Moens, Cecilia B
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.