How the brain controls breathing during sleep and sleep apnea
Mechanisms of sleep and sleep apnea
This research works to find and target specific brain cells that control breathing during sleep to help people with sleep apnea, opioid-related breathing problems, and obesity-related low breathing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11016099 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are mapping brain circuits that trigger breathing and waking responses to low oxygen or high carbon dioxide, using advanced cell-level gene mapping and circuit tools. They will use single-cell RNA sequencing to identify specific neuron types in brainstem regions and then test their roles in mouse models of obstructive sleep apnea, opioid-induced respiratory depression, and obesity-hypoventilation. The team will study how drugs such as orexin agonists affect these circuits and whether activating certain pathways can improve breathing. The goal is to define specific targets for new medicines that could help people who stop breathing or breathe poorly during sleep.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with obstructive sleep apnea, individuals using opioids who are at risk of respiratory depression, and people with obesity-hypoventilation syndrome are the groups most likely to benefit from these findings.
Not a fit: People without breathing-related sleep disorders, children, or patients whose breathing problems are caused by correctable anatomical airway blockages may not directly benefit from this basic science work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets that improve breathing and reduce dangerous breathing stops in people with sleep apnea, opioid-induced respiratory depression, or obesity-hypoventilation.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and early human studies show brainstem circuits and orexin systems affect breathing, but combining single-cell mapping with targeted pharmacology to identify drug targets is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saper, Clifford B — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Saper, Clifford 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.