Modulating a brain lipid to reduce injury after newborn brain injury
Official title: Modulating 7-dehydrocholesterol to attenuate lipid peroxidation after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11597985 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to test a treatment that changes a brain lipid to lessen damage after a baby’s brain has been deprived of oxygen.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $236,881 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM130447-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11597985 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns with or at risk of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury who could be eligible for future translational studies.
✕Less likely to help
Infants without hypoxic-ischemic brain injury or those for whom the intervention is inappropriate may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, a leading cause of developmental problems. It proposes using drugs that alter 7-dehydrocholesterol levels to reduce harmful lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis after the injury. The work combines existing FDA-approved medications with mechanistic studies to understand how changing DHCR7 activity could protect brain cells. By exploring these pathways in preclinical models, the team hopes to identify strategies that could improve outcomes for affected infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lessen brain damage and improve long-term development after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic events.
How similar studies have gone: Early data suggest ferroptosis is involved in neonatal brain injury and that modulating 7DHC pathways may influence outcomes, but full clinical translation remains to be established.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peeples, Eric Stanley — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Peeples, Eric Stanley
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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.