Plant-based blockers of a microglial proton channel for nerve pain
Official title: Identification of botanical hHv1 channel blockers as analgesics for neuropathic pain
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11174442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking for plant-derived compounds that block a microglial proton channel to help reduce neuropathic (nerve) pain in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | June 8, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $443,123 |
| NIH project number | 5R33AT012544-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury who have not achieved sufficient relief from existing treatments would be the eventual candidates for therapies derived from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-neuropathic pain (for example purely musculoskeletal pain) or those seeking immediate relief should not expect direct benefit from this early-stage preclinical research.
What this research studies
This project focuses on neuropathic pain from nerve injury and targets microglia, the immune cells in the brain and spinal cord that release damaging reactive oxygen species and inflammatory signals. Researchers will screen large libraries of plant extracts and botanical compounds with live-cell tests to find small molecules that block the Hv1 proton channel in microglia. Promising hits will be tested in laboratory models, including mouse nerve-injury models, to see whether they lower inflammation and pain behaviors. The work aims to produce leads that could be developed into new non-opioid pain medicines, with human trials to come later if results are positive.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new non-opioid treatments that reduce neuropathic pain and inflammation with fewer side effects than current options.
How similar studies have gone: Blocking the Hv1 channel with a designer peptide has reduced inflammation and nerve pain in mouse models, but plant-derived small-molecule Hv1 blockers remain unproven in humans.
Where this research is happening
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University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Ruiming — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Ruiming
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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.