Understanding how the brain's protective barrier moves substances
Transporter Elucidation Center at the University of California, San Francisco
This project aims to discover how important proteins in the brain's protective barrier control the movement of medicines and nutrients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129928 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have special proteins called transporters that help move important substances like medicines and nutrients in and out of cells. This project focuses on transporters found in the brain's protective barrier, known as the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB), which carefully controls what enters and leaves the brain. We want to learn more about how these specific transporters work, what substances they move, and where they are located within the BBB. By understanding these transporters better, we hope to find new ways to deliver medicines to the brain more effectively and understand how nutrients reach it. This work involves a team of experts using advanced techniques to map out these transporters and their functions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work does not involve direct patient participation but aims to benefit individuals with neurological conditions by improving future drug delivery.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention would not find direct benefit from this foundational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for delivering medicines to the brain more effectively and improve our understanding of brain health.
How similar studies have performed: While the general concept of transporters is known, this project focuses on systematically characterizing many understudied transporters in the human brain's protective barrier, representing a novel approach to filling a significant knowledge gap.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giacomini, Kathleen M — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Giacomini, Kathleen M
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.