Turning on a brain enzyme to help recovery after stroke
Development and Characterization of Small Molecule Activators of Peptidase Neurolysin for Stroke Therapy
This project aims to develop pill-like drugs that switch on a brain enzyme called neurolysin to help protect and repair the brain after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oakland University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11245353 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is designing and improving small molecules that activate the enzyme neurolysin, which helps remove harmful peptides and produce protective ones after brain injury. They will optimize chemical leads for potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties and test them in lab and animal models of stroke. These molecules are intended as both research tools to study neurolysin and as starting points for future medicines. If they prove safe and effective in preclinical tests, the best candidates could move toward human clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The eventual human candidates would be people who have suffered an acute ischemic stroke and could enroll in future clinical trials of neurolysin-activating drugs.
Not a fit: People without stroke, those with unrelated neurological diseases, or those many years past their stroke are unlikely to benefit from this early drug-development work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drugs could reduce brain damage and improve recovery after stroke.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and animal studies already support neurolysin's protective role after stroke, but developing small-molecule activators is a relatively new and relatively untested therapeutic approach.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Oakland University — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karamyan, Vardan T. — Oakland University
- Study coordinator: Karamyan, Vardan T.
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.