Reducing harmful brain inflammation after organophosphate exposure
Project 1: Reduction of Pro-Inflammatory Signaling
Trying anti-inflammatory medicines given with standard emergency care to help people who survive severe organophosphate (nerve-agent or pesticide) poisoning avoid long-term seizures and memory problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174351 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team uses a well-established rat model that mimics the seizures and memory loss seen after acute organophosphate poisoning. They will give drugs that block COX-2 or inhibit soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) alongside standard emergency treatments to shift brain lipid signals away from inflammation. Researchers will track seizure recurrence, memory performance, and markers of brain inflammation for months and analyze brain lipids to see which treatments promote recovery. The goal is to identify drug combinations that could be added to current care to prevent chronic neurological problems after poisoning.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who survived acute organophosphate (nerve-agent or pesticide) poisoning and are at risk for ongoing seizures or memory problems would be the group most likely to benefit from these findings.
Not a fit: People whose epilepsy or memory problems are caused by other conditions (such as genetic epilepsy, traumatic brain injury unrelated to organophosphate exposure, or Alzheimer’s disease) may not benefit from these specific treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the chance of long-term seizures and memory loss after acute organophosphate poisoning by adding anti-inflammatory drugs to current care.
How similar studies have performed: Anti-inflammatory strategies like COX-2 inhibition and sEH inhibition have shown benefit in animal models of epilepsy and brain injury, but their use specifically after organophosphate poisoning is still at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lein, Pamela J — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Lein, Pamela J
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.