Octopamine and exercise adaptation in fruit flies and humans
Official title: Octpamine controls adaptation to endurance exercise in Drosophila
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11393113 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how octopamine signals in the brain and muscles help the body enjoy exercise benefits, starting in fruit flies and moving toward a VR-based approach for sedentary people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2018 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $420,380 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG059683-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393113 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals whose movement is limited by illness or injury and who may benefit from exercise-mimicking interventions in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or patients who can already perform regular exercise are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific translational approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will first map how octopamine in the brain changes neuron connections during exercise in fruit flies, then uncover how octopamine signals in muscles respond to exercise. They will extend the findings to humans using virtual reality to simulate some exercise benefits for sedentary individuals. The project combines genetic, neural, and translational approaches to understand and reproduce exercise-related health gains. The work could reveal targets to help people who cannot exercise normally due to illness or injury access exercise-like benefits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new ways to mimic exercise benefits for people who cannot move normally, improving metabolism and aging-related health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous fruit fly studies show that brain octopamine signaling influences exercise benefits, with translational steps still in early stages.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wessells, Robert John — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Wessells, Robert John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
-
EBV reactivation and how it changes human cells in HIV-related cancers
This NIH grant looks at how Epstein-Barr virus reactivation affects human cells and may contribute to cancers in people with HIV/AIDS.
-
Programmed splicing derangement and EBV host cell shut-off in HIV/ AIDS-related cancers
Researchers are studying how Epstein-Barr virus reprograms human cells in people with HIV/AIDS to promote cancer development and autoimmune diseases.
-
PFAS may speed up artery disease by changing bile acids
Aims to see if PFAS chemicals make cholesterol rise and arteries more likely to harden, using a human-similar mouse model to understand how this could affect people.
-
Synthesis and measurement of cyanotoxins to understand human exposure from water and air
This project will make precise chemical standards and measurement methods for cyanotoxins from harmful algal blooms to better estimate how people might be exposed through drinking water and air.
-
Personalized cancer subtyping and risk prediction with multi-omics data
A cancer research project aims to classify tumors and predict risk by integrating multiple molecular data types to tailor treatments for patients.
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.