How tiny ion channels shape inner-ear nerve function
Official title: The role of ion channels in shaping the function of inner ear neurons
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11473952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how small electrical channels in inner-ear nerve cells control signals that help balance and hearing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2017 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $47,864 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DC015512-09S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473952 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This laboratory research does not enroll patients; it uses tissue and cellular preparations rather than human volunteers.
✕Less likely to help
Because there is no patient enrollment or treatment in this project, people with vestibular symptoms would not directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will record electrical activity from individual vestibular (inner-ear) nerve cells while keeping them connected to their hair-cell partners in semi-intact tissue preparations. They will fill and image single cells to link each cell's shape with the mix of ion channels it expresses. Using pharmacological drugs that mimic efferent (cholinergic) signals, they will test how those signals change specific ion channels and alter firing patterns. The work combines patch-clamp electrophysiology, single-cell labeling, and targeted drug application to relate channels, cell anatomy, and function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify mechanisms behind balance and dizziness and point to new targets for therapies to improve vestibular and related hearing problems.
How similar studies have gone: Patch-clamp and single-cell labeling approaches have successfully revealed ion-channel roles in other sensory neurons, though applying them to link channel mixes to firing patterns in vestibular ganglion cells is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kalluri, Radha — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Kalluri, Radha
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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.