How nitric oxide helps the body adapt to low oxygen
Plasticity and Nitric Oxide Signaling: Identifying the Novel Adaptive Mechanisms Associated with Response to Hypoxia
Researchers are using zebrafish to learn how nitric oxide and related genes help organisms cope with low oxygen, aiming to improve care for people with heart and blood-vessel conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238495 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at how bodies adapt when oxygen is limited by studying genes and signals that control blood flow and inflammation. The team uses zebrafish to map gene-regulatory networks tied to nitric oxide, compares those genes across animals adapted to low-oxygen environments like high altitude, and tests how early-life low-oxygen exposure changes those responses. The lab work focuses on molecular pathways that could underlie protective or harmful changes in blood vessels and heart tissue.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with heart or vascular conditions related to poor oxygen delivery would be the most relevant group for future human studies building on this work.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to blood flow or oxygen supply are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could uncover biological targets to prevent or treat blood vessel and heart damage caused by low oxygen.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked nitric oxide to blood-flow responses in low-oxygen states, but comparing adaptive gene networks across species and focusing on developmental plasticity is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Lawrence, United States
- University of Kansas Lawrence — Lawrence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Graham, Allie M — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Graham, Allie M
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.