Salt tolerance in amphibians and what it can teach us about salt in our bodies
Official title: Hypertensive Toads: Investigating the Physiological and Evolutionary Pathways to Salt Tolerance in Amphibians
Funded at University of Houston · NIH-11386723 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant studies how certain amphibians cope with high salt to learn clues that could help people manage salt in diets.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 6, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $431,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM160308-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386723 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with high-salt dietary exposure or salt-sensitive health concerns who may benefit from future applications of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without high salt exposure or salt-sensitive conditions may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project examines how some freshwater frogs adapt physiologically and evolutionarily to salty environments. Using comparative biology and experiments that look at salt handling, the researchers aim to map the pathways that support salinity tolerance and understand the trade-offs of long-term salt exposure. The work translates basic findings about amphibians into potential clues for reducing health risks from high-salt diets in humans. The study builds on prior work by testing and validating candidate mechanisms across species to uncover practical coping strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Discover new strategies that could help people manage salt in diets and reduce related health risks.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in related species has identified mechanisms of salt tolerance, supporting a plausible path forward.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Albecker, Molly — University of Houston
- Study coordinator: Albecker, Molly
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.