Protecting small blood vessels from radiation by boosting mitochondrial health
Official title: Leveraging mitochondrial function to combat radiation therapy-induced microvascular disease
Funded at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center · NIH-11515218 · Data updated 2026-11-12
It aims to prevent radiation-related damage to tiny blood vessels and reduce later thinking and memory problems in people who get radiation therapy by protecting cell mitochondria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2010 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 7I01BX000163-17 |
| Project ID | NIH-11515218 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people receiving radiation therapy—especially those getting brain radiation—or veterans treated at the VA who are at risk for radiation-related vascular or cognitive side effects.
✕Less likely to help
People who never receive radiation therapy or those whose radiation-related vascular or brain damage is already long-established are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you get radiation therapy, this project looks at how that treatment can hurt the mitochondria inside the cells that line small blood vessels and how that damage leads to long-term blood vessel and brain problems. Researchers will use lab models, tissue studies, and related experiments to trace the steps from mitochondrial injury to chronic vascular dysfunction and cognitive decline. They will also test treatments given at the time of radiation to see if protecting mitochondria can stop that chain of damage. The work focuses on veterans treated with radiation but could benefit anyone receiving radiotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies given during radiation that prevent small-vessel injury and reduce long-term cognitive decline.
How similar studies have gone: Some laboratory studies suggest mitochondrial protection can reduce radiation injury, but strong evidence from patient trials is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Oklahoma City VA Medical Center
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grumbach, Isabella Maria — Oklahoma City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Grumbach, Isabella Maria
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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.