Role of CPT1 activation in spinal cord injury
Official title: Role of CPT1 activation in the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11449353 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how activating CPT1, a key enzyme in fat metabolism, may influence recovery after spinal cord injury in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $547,099 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS144670-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449353 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with acute or recent spinal cord injury who could participate in metabolic or biomarker studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose injury biology does not involve CPT1-related pathways may not benefit.
What this research studies
Traumatic spinal cord injury causes serious, lasting problems and there aren’t good treatments yet. The project focuses on how lipid metabolism and fatty acid breakdown affect damage and signaling in the injured nervous system. By studying CPT1’s role in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, researchers hope to identify pathways that could be targeted to improve function after SCI. The work combines molecular and cellular approaches to understand how metabolic changes influence nerve cell survival and repair. If successful, it could point to new strategies to protect neurons and support recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Potential new metabolic targets to improve outcomes after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests lipid metabolism influences CNS injury, but this project explores CPT1-specific mechanisms, which is more targeted.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Nai-Kui — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Liu, Nai-Kui
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Corticospinal neurons and recovery of precise forelimb movement after spinal cord injury
This project studies how spine injuries change brain circuits and whether targeted rehabilitation helps restore precise forelimb movement.
-
How baclofen and spinal cord stimulation interact in people with spinal cord injury
This study looks at how a common antispasmodic medicine (baclofen) works together with spinal cord stimulation in people who have spinal cord injuries and live with spasticity.
-
Targeting spinal cord inflammation with a new HuR inhibitor to help SCI patients
A new treatment approach uses a small molecule to block a brain-spinal inflammation regulator (HuR) that drives harmful inflammation after spinal cord injury, aiming to lessen damage and pain for people with SCI.
-
From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
A patient-focused project aims to translate how brain signals control movement after spinal cord injury into new treatments that improve muscle function and reduce spasticity.
-
Polaris: a compact system to help motor recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke
A new, easy-to-use device called Polaris may help people with spinal cord injury, stroke, or other chronic conditions regain movement by guiding a specialized reflex-based therapy.
-
Predicting and Preventing Chronic Aspiration After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at swallowing problems and chronic aspiration in adults with traumatic neck spine injuries to find patterns that could prevent serious lung complications.
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.