Targeting a brain inflammation regulator to protect cells after a stroke
Official title: Targeting Glial HuR to Suppress Inflammation and Promote Neuroprotection in Acute Stroke
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11380954 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to test a new approach that tampers with a key brain cell regulator to reduce inflammation and protect brain tissue after a stroke, potentially lowering disability.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $540,236 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS141123-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380954 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults at risk of ischemic stroke or researchers studying stroke-related brain inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-stroke brain injuries or unrelated conditions may not benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
This project focuses on acute ischemic stroke, where inflammation worsens brain injury. Researchers will explore how blocking HuR, a regulator inside brain support cells, can dampen harmful inflammatory signals. The work involves laboratory studies that may translate to human patients in the future, aiming to preserve brain tissue and function after stroke. If successful, this could lead to new treatment strategies that complement current care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients who have a stroke could experience less brain damage and better recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Other approaches targeting brain inflammation have shown promise, but this specific HuR-targeting strategy is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: King, Peter H — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: King, Peter H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
In-bed wearable rehab robot to help stroke survivors recover movement
A wearable robotic device will be developed to help adults who recently had an acute stroke regain movement while still in the hospital.
-
When people are most at risk of another stroke after a minor stroke or TIA
Researchers are combining past trial data to find the timing of highest risk for a second stroke after a minor stroke or TIA so treatments can be better timed.
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Improving Participation after Stroke: Self-Management Rehab for Sub-Acute Stroke
A doctor- and patient-friendly program delivered virtually helps people who recently had a stroke feel more confident, stay active at home, and improve quality of life.
-
Predicting brain tissue outcome after acute stroke using AI
A researchers at Stanford are testing an AI system that uses brain scans and clinical data to predict which parts of the brain will recover after an acute stroke and how treatment might help.
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Helping brain recovery for people with severe paralysis after a recent stroke
This project builds a wearable in-bed robot to give gentle movement and sensory training to adults with severe weakness right after a stroke.
-
Language recovery after stroke: how people regain communication skills and how to help
A Johns Hopkins team is studying how people recover language after a left-hemisphere stroke and what helps them regain reading, spelling, and understanding spoken and written language.
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.