Understanding how anesthesia affects the brain during and after surgery
Official title: Causal mechanisms of anesthetic induction and emergence in human cortical organoids
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10929375 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how anesthesia makes you unconscious and how you wake up from it by using tiny brain-like structures made from stem cells, which could help doctors understand and improve the way anesthesia works for patients like you.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $78,892 |
| NIH project number | 5F32GM149135-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10929375 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals scheduled for surgeries requiring general anesthesia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing surgery or those who do not require general anesthesia may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms behind how anesthesia induces unconsciousness and how patients emerge from it using human cortical organoids, which are brain-like structures created from stem cells. By studying these organoids, researchers aim to clarify the complex interactions in the brain that occur during anesthesia, which can lead to complications like emergence delirium and prolonged recovery times. The findings could help improve anesthesia practices and patient outcomes by providing insights into the brain's response to anesthetic drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer anesthesia practices and reduced complications for patients undergoing surgery.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been research on anesthesia effects, this approach using human cortical organoids is relatively novel and aims to provide new insights into the mechanisms involved.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Toker, Daniel — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Toker, Daniel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Systems genetics of vascular smooth muscle phenotypes in heart disease
Aims to understand how genetic differences influence vascular smooth muscle cells to improve prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.
-
Motivation for Alcohol Use in Humans and How It Can Be Measured
This grant explores how people are motivated to drink alcohol and tests a safe, controlled way to study that motivation to inform better treatments for alcohol use disorder.
-
Overcoming CAR T cell resistance with tumor-targeted IL-12 to boost anti-tumor immunity
Aims to make CAR T cell therapy work better for solid tumors by using tumor-focused IL-12 to boost the body’s attack on cancer.
-
PediCODE: A Biorepository and Consortium for CoDE - Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
A nationwide effort to collect clinical data and patient-derived samples to uncover the genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy and to build a resource that helps researchers study these diseases.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
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.