Red blood cell trapping worsens kidney injury after reduced kidney blood flow
Official title: Red blood cell trapping mediates toxic kidney injury following ischemia
Funded at Augusta University · NIH-11377578 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A kidney-saving study tests how trapped red blood cells during ischemia contribute to kidney injury and whether stopping this trapping could help patients recover.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Augusta University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Augusta, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $569,179 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK138150-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377578 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable here, as the study is in animal models and mechanistic work, not a patient enrollment trial.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation in this stage; focus is on understanding mechanisms in models.
What this research studies
Ischemic AKI happens when the kidney doesn’t get enough blood during episodes like shock, and there are no proven treatments yet. This grant focuses on how red blood cells become trapped in the kidney’s outer medullary capillaries during ischemia and how that trapping drives damage when blood flow returns. The research uses animal models to mimic ischemia/reperfusion injury and to observe how RBCs crowd the tiny vessels and lead to tissue injury. Findings could point to new approaches to prevent or lessen kidney damage in patients after ischemic events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies to reduce kidney injury and improve outcomes after ischemic events.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows RBC trapping is linked to kidney injury in ischemia/reperfusion models, supporting this approach as promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Augusta University
Augusta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'connor, Paul Michael — Augusta University
- Study coordinator: O'connor, Paul Michael
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.