Understanding how taste buds regenerate after injury
Official title: Injury-mechanisms of taste bud regeneration
Funded at Augusta University · NIH-11070395 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking into how taste buds can heal after they've been damaged, especially for adults who have lost their sense of taste due to injury or illness, and it aims to find ways to help them recover better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Augusta University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Augusta, United States) |
| Project start | April 10, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $477,834 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC021701-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11070395 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults who have experienced taste loss due to trauma, surgery, or other medical conditions affecting the chorda tympani nerve.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with taste loss due to congenital conditions or those who have not experienced any nerve damage may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms behind the regeneration of taste buds, which are crucial for our sense of taste and overall nutrition. It focuses on how damage to the chorda tympani nerve affects taste function and explores the role of specific signaling pathways, particularly those involving cytokines like interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor. By studying these processes, the research aims to uncover strategies to enhance taste bud recovery in adults who have experienced taste loss due to injury or disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that restore taste function in individuals who have lost their sense of taste due to nerve damage.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding taste bud regeneration, particularly in animal models, but this specific approach focusing on TNF signaling is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Augusta University
Augusta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccluskey, Lynnette Marie — Augusta University
- Study coordinator: Mccluskey, Lynnette Marie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Sub-second acetylcholine release in the brain for Alzheimer’s dementia
A small, quick stimulations-based study aims to boost a brain chemical called acetylcholine to help people with Alzheimer’s disease by using a targeted brain stimulation approach.
-
Cardiac polyploidy regulators in fruit flies and humans
A researcher is studying how heart cells in humans and fruit flies control their DNA content to grow, hoping to uncover genes that keep the heart healthy.
-
Georgia CaRes: Cancer Research and Care in Georgia
A Georgia-wide program helps adults with cancer take part in trials and cancer-control efforts across rural and urban communities.
-
ZBP1's role in how the body handles LPS and bacterial infection
This NIH grant looks at how ZBP1 helps cells respond to LPS and protect against bacterial infection, focusing on a new pathway that can trigger inflammation and cell death.
-
How the protein RHOE may control scarring in the heart after a heart attack
This work looks at whether increasing a protein called RHOE in heart fibroblasts can reduce harmful scarring after a heart attack.
-
Length of Bisphosphonate Use and Breaks: Guiding Safe, Long-Term Osteoporosis Care
A clinician-friendly tool helps older adults and their doctors decide how long to stay on bisphosphonates and whether a drug holiday makes sense.
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.