How taste buds regrow after injury
Injury-mechanisms of taste bud regeneration
This project looks at how immune signals help taste buds and their nerves recover after injury to help adults who lose their sense of taste from trauma or surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Augusta University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Augusta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309177 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models that mimic nerve injury to the front of the tongue to watch how taste buds rebuild. The team will focus on immune signaling molecules, especially interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), and how they activate NF-κB in different cell types to drive taste cell growth and maturation. They will compare normal mice with animals that lack or have altered signaling to pinpoint which pathways are essential for regeneration. Findings will be used to guide strategies that might eventually help people regain taste after injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have lost or reduced taste following ear surgery, head trauma, infection, or other nerve injuries would be the most relevant future candidates.
Not a fit: People with congenital taste disorders or taste loss caused primarily by medications or non-nerve-related conditions may not benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatments that restore taste after nerve injury, improving nutrition and quality of life for affected adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal work showed that IL-1 signaling is important for taste recovery and preliminary data suggest TNFR1 is also required, but human translation remains limited and the TNFR1 role is newly explored.
Where this research is happening
Augusta, United States
- Augusta University — Augusta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccluskey, Lynnette Marie — Augusta University
- Study coordinator: Mccluskey, Lynnette Marie
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.