Neuregulin-1 to protect the brain after cerebral malaria
Protective role of Neuregulin-1 against cerebral malaria-induced neuronal injury and behavioral sequelae
['FUNDING_R01'] · MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · NIH-11009983
This project will see if a small protein called Neuregulin-1 can protect children's brains and reduce long-term thinking, movement, or behavior problems after cerebral malaria.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (ATLANTA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11009983 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how breakdown products from malaria-infected red blood cells (like free heme and HRP2) cause brain inflammation, blood–brain barrier leakiness, and neuron damage. They use lab cell cultures, 3‑D brain organoids, and a mouse model of cerebral malaria to reproduce those injury processes and test whether injected Neuregulin‑1 can prevent them. Early animal work showed Neuregulin‑1 given intravenously reduced brain injury and activated protective receptors such as ErbB4, and the team will measure signaling molecules (for example STAT3, MMP3, angiopoietins, and tau) to understand how protection happens. The findings will guide whether Neuregulin‑1 or related approaches could move toward human testing to prevent or lessen brain damage after cerebral malaria.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The ideal candidates would be children who have had cerebral malaria and are at risk of or already showing neurological or behavioral problems after infection.
Not a fit: People without cerebral malaria or with brain problems from unrelated causes are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent brain injury and improve thinking, learning, and behavior outcomes for children who survive cerebral malaria.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and animal studies have shown Neuregulin‑1 can reduce brain injury in experimental cerebral malaria and the molecule has been tested in human heart failure trials, but it has not yet been proven in people with cerebral malaria.
Where this research is happening
ATLANTA, UNITED STATES
- MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE — ATLANTA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: STILES, JONATHAN K. — MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- Study coordinator: STILES, JONATHAN K.
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 below.
Conditions: Acquired brain injury