Why new hippocampal neurons grow abnormally after brain injury and seizures
Official title: Molecular control of aberrant adult-born granule cells in epilepsy
Funded at University of Texas San Antonio · NIH-11144256 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at the genes and signals that make new brain cells in the hippocampus grow abnormally after a severe brain injury or prolonged seizure, aiming to help people at risk of developing epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas San Antonio NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $425,074 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS124855-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11144256 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The research itself uses animal models and does not enroll patients, but its findings would be most relevant to adults who have experienced severe traumatic brain injury or status epilepticus and are at risk for developing temporal lobe epilepsy.
✕Less likely to help
People without prior brain injury or those with long-established, treatment-resistant epilepsy are unlikely to see direct, immediate benefit from this preclinical, mechanistic work.
What this research studies
If you've had a severe brain injury or a prolonged seizure, researchers are studying how newly born neurons in the hippocampus change shape and connections in ways that may lead to epilepsy. They will use established animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy to follow activity, calcium signaling, and gene expression in immature adult-born granule cells during the silent period before seizures start. The team will identify the genes and signaling pathways that drive these abnormal cells and will map which neurons send inputs to them. The goal is to define the cellular steps from injury to epilepsy so future treatments can target those steps to prevent seizures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify molecular targets to stop abnormal newborn neurons and reduce the risk of developing epilepsy after brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies, including the PI's work that removed new neurons, showed new neurons can promote epilepsy, but this project takes a more novel molecular and circuit-level approach to find the underlying causes.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas San Antonio
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hsieh, Jenny — University of Texas San Antonio
- Study coordinator: Hsieh, Jenny
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
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Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
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Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
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New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
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Sahel Epilepsy Study: finding patterns in epilepsy in rural Africa and its links to genes
A plan to study epilepsy in rural Nigeria to discover how common it is, what factors affect risk, and how genetics may influence it, with results that could improve care for people with epilepsy.
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.