Metabolic clues to recovery after mild traumatic brain injury
Official title: Metabolic Mechanisms of Recovery in Mild TBI
Funded at University of Kentucky · NIH-11531082 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests how a brain injury affects metabolism and whether promoting certain metabolic pathways helps recovery, using rodent and cellular models related to concussion.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $572,518 |
| NIH project number | 7R01NS135406-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11531082 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals who have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury and related cognition concerns, or future patients who could participate in related human studies or trials based on the mechanisms studied.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-brain injuries or severe brain injury beyond mild TBI may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
Many people struggle after a mild traumatic brain injury, and this project looks at the body’s metabolic changes that accompany recovery. Researchers have found that a molecule called cypin and methionine metabolism may influence brain function after injury, and they will study how activating purine metabolism could improve outcomes. The work will use new rodent models of mild TBI to explore molecular changes and test potential therapies that could support cognition after concussion. If successful, these insights could guide new treatments to help patients regain thinking and daily function after injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of metabolism after mild TBI could lead to therapies that improve cognitive recovery for concussion patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed cypin-related neuroprotection and restoration of cognition in TBI models, suggesting potential for translation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Firestein, Bonnie L — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Firestein, Bonnie L
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.