NIH-funded research NIH-funded research

Understanding how sleep affects the immune system

Official title: The Role of Sleep in Innate Immune Homeostasis: Toward Mechanistic Understanding Through Genome-Wide Enhancer Analysis

Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-10950326 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is looking at how not getting enough sleep can affect your immune system, especially if you have inflammatory diseases like sepsis, and it aims to find out which genes are involved in this connection.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA San Diego Healthcare System
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Diego, United States)
Project startOctober 1, 2022
Project endSeptember 30, 2027
Funding year2025
NIH project number5IK2BX005908-03
Project IDNIH-10950326 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are individuals, particularly Veterans, who experience sleep disorders and related immune dysfunction.

Less likely to help

Patients without sleep disorders or those not experiencing immune-related issues may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research investigates the complex relationship between sleep and immune function, particularly focusing on how inadequate sleep can lead to immune dysfunction. It aims to identify the transcription factors and gene regulatory programs that play a role in this sleep-immune axis, especially in the context of inflammatory diseases. By analyzing genome-wide changes in regulatory elements, the study seeks to uncover key pathways that influence immune responses during sleep disruption, with a specific focus on sepsis. The research utilizes a murine model to explore the effects of sleep fragmentation on immune function and outcomes in sepsis.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating inflammatory diseases linked to poor sleep.

How similar studies have gone: Previous research has indicated that sleep disruption negatively impacts immune function, suggesting that this approach could yield meaningful insights.

Where this research is happening

  • VA San Diego Healthcare System
    San Diego, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Lam, Michael Tun Yin — VA San Diego Healthcare System
  • Study coordinator: Lam, Michael Tun Yin

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

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.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 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.