Understanding how brain circuits control breathing during sleep problems and related conditions
Official title: Mechanisms of sleep and sleep apnea
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11415571 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying specific brain circuits that control breathing and wakefulness in conditions like sleep apnea, opioid-related breathing problems, and obesity-related breathing issues, with the goal of finding new ways to treat these problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,001,227 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL149630-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415571 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with or at risk for sleep apnea, opioid-induced respiratory depression, or obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, who could participate in future clinical trials or benefit from new therapies developed.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without these sleep-related breathing disorders may not directly benefit from this program.
What this research studies
This program project seeks to map and manipulate brain cell types that respond to low oxygen or high carbon dioxide to improve breathing during sleep and in related disorders. Using advanced molecular tools, researchers will identify the cells, their connections, and the receptor signals that drive ventilation, especially in the parabrachial/Kölliker-Fuse complex and brainstem regions. The work includes mouse model studies to see how these cells behave in sleep-disordered breathing and under morphine, and to test whether targeted therapies could help. A key aim is to uncover targets for drugs that could safely enhance breathing in obstructive sleep apnea, opioid-induced respiratory depression, and obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. Project activities will translate basic circuit findings into potential pharmacological strategies to improve patient breathing during sleep and daily life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new medications that improve breathing during sleep for people with apnea, opioid-related breathing problems, and obesity-related hypoventilation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that brain circuits regulate breathing and that targeting specific cell types can modify respiratory responses; this program builds on those findings with deeper, circuit-level exploration.
Where this research is happening
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saper, Clifford B — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Saper, Clifford B
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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.