Understanding how the brain and lungs communicate to control breathing
Dissecting the Interoception Circuit that Controls Airway Constriction
This study is looking at how allergens can impact your breathing and health by studying how signals travel from the lungs to the brain, and it could help us understand how breathing exercises might make both your lungs and brain feel better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10911091 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates the connections between the lungs and the brain, focusing on how signals from allergens can affect breathing and overall health. Using mouse models, the study aims to explore how these signals are transmitted through specific neurons to different brain regions that regulate airway responses. Advanced imaging and genetic techniques will be employed to map these neural circuits and understand their role in airway hyper-responsiveness. The findings could provide insights into how breathing practices might improve lung and brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research include individuals with asthma or other airway diseases, particularly those affected by allergens.
Not a fit: Patients with non-respiratory conditions or those not affected by airway diseases may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments for airway diseases like asthma by improving our understanding of how the brain regulates breathing.
How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown promising results in understanding the brain-lung connection, but this specific approach using advanced imaging and genetic techniques is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Xin — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Sun, Xin
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.