How the immune system calms inflammation after cardiac arrest
Official title: Resolution of inflammation after cardiac arrest
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11251192 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are exploring how immune cells and signals calm inflammation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest to protect the brain and improve recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $729,870 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL166487-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251192 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at participating hospitals who can have blood samples collected shortly after resuscitation.
✕Less likely to help
People without recent cardiac arrest or those too medically unstable to provide consent or blood samples are unlikely to take part or directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one survives an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, this project uses blood samples collected soon after resuscitation to study immune cells. Scientists apply single-cell techniques to a biobank of preserved blood immune cells (PBMCs) from patients to map which cell types and signals are linked to good or bad neurological outcomes. They follow up key findings with lab tests on patient cells and experiments in animal models to test pathways such as Nectin-2 and IFNγ that control monocyte–NK cell interactions. The aim is to discover immune mechanisms that could be targeted to reduce brain injury and improve survival after cardiac arrest.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify immune targets that lead to treatments reducing brain injury and improving survival after cardiac arrest.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary human blood analyses and mouse experiments suggest targeting IFNγ and related immune pathways can reduce neurological injury, but applying single-cell human biobank data to guide therapies is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Edy Yong — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Kim, Edy Yong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Multi-center study on how ventilation during CPR relates to cardiac arrest outcomes
A large, real-world study will look at how ventilation during CPR affects survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults.
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Specialized post-arrest care after cardiac arrest
A large, nationwide effort tests whether transferring cardiac arrest patients to a specialized post-arrest care center improves recovery compared with usual care.
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Reduce bias in predicting brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project aims to make brain-recovery predictions more accurate for people who survive cardiac arrest by comparing outcomes between the United States and Brazil.
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Fairer brain recovery predictions after cardiac arrest through U.S.–Brazil collaboration
This project aims to find better ways to predict brain recovery for people who survive cardiac arrest but have possible brain injury.
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Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project compares outcomes after cardiac arrest in the U.S. and Brazil to learn which tests best predict who will regain brain function for people who survive cardiac arrest.
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Reducing biased predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project looks at cardiac arrest survivors in the US and Brazil to find more accurate ways to predict brain recovery and avoid premature stopping of life support.
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.