Treating the immune reaction after cardiac arrest

Immunomodulatory Therapy After Resuscitation From Cardiac Arrest

NIH-funded research State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11253266

This work tests therapies to calm the immune response in adults who are resuscitated from cardiac arrest to help reduce organ damage and death.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionState University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Amherst, United States)
Project IDNIH-11253266 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

After a cardiac arrest, your body can mount an intense immune reaction that worsens injury to the brain and other organs. Researchers at SUNY Buffalo are studying how rapid increases in white blood cells and macrophages after return of spontaneous circulation cause that damage, using laboratory and animal models plus analysis of blood cells. They plan to test drugs that blunt those immune responses and measure whether organ injury is reduced. If findings are promising, they could lead to treatments offered to people after they are resuscitated to improve survival and recovery.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults who have been resuscitated after cardiac arrest and are receiving hospital care after return of spontaneous circulation are the most relevant candidates.

Not a fit: Children, people who never regain circulation, or patients whose organ damage is not driven by inflammation are unlikely to benefit from these specific immune-targeting approaches.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could reduce multi-organ injury and improve survival and recovery for people who regain circulation after cardiac arrest by limiting harmful inflammation.

How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and early human research suggest reducing post-resuscitation inflammation can help, but large clinical trials proving benefit are still lacking, so the approach remains partly experimental.

Where this research is happening

Amherst, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired brain injury
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.