Membrane response to electrical stress to improve safe, precise therapies
Official title: Cell membrane response to electrical stress at nanosecond and nanometer resolution
Funded at Old Dominion University · NIH-11344427 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how cell membranes react to brief electrical pulses to better control therapies like cancer ablation and heart rhythm treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Old Dominion University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norfolk, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $320,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R01GM160649-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11344427 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include patients undergoing PEF-based therapies (e.g., cancer ablation or atrial fibrillation treatment) where membrane response data could inform safer protocols.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving PEF-based therapies or those outside the studied indications may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
The project aims to map how membranes charge, relax, and form pores when exposed to pulsed electric fields, to tailor treatments that activate cells without damage or to enhance targeted ablation. It builds on advanced imaging of single pores in live cells and uses fast-mnapshot techniques to link membrane behavior with specific pulse settings. By understanding how different cell types respond, this work could help reduce adverse effects and improve effectiveness of PEF-based therapies for cancer and cardiac atrial fibrillation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to safer, more precise electrical therapies for cancer and heart conditions with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work on electropore properties and live-cell imaging suggests that detailed membrane dynamics can inform therapy optimization.
Where this research is happening
-
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pakhomov, Andrei G — Old Dominion University
- Study coordinator: Pakhomov, Andrei G
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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.