How the body clock affects the area around a stroke
Circadian Effects in the Stroke Penumbra
This project looks at how the body's internal clock changes blood flow and cell damage around an ischemic stroke to help people who have had strokes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285206 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We're looking at how the body's day–night clock changes what happens in the penumbra, the area of brain tissue around an ischemic stroke. Using timed strokes in mice, researchers will map blood flow, metabolism, cell responses, tissue injury, and behavior across the full circadian cycle. They will also track how a stroke alters central and peripheral body clocks and test whether the clock gene Bmal1 affects blood vessel shear stress and cell death mechanisms. The work aims to explain whether the time of day changes how the penumbra evolves and how that might affect recovery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for related patient participation would be people with recent ischemic stroke who can report when symptoms began or who can take part in timing-focused hospital assessments.
Not a fit: People with hemorrhagic strokes, very old remote stroke damage, or conditions unrelated to ischemic penumbral injury are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to timing-based treatment strategies or better-designed clinical trials that improve stroke recovery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal work, including published data from this group, indicates circadian timing can change stroke outcomes, but translating this to human treatments is still largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lo, Eng H. — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Lo, Eng H.
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.