BREATHE Center director Dr. Gordon Mitchell, has successfully renewed his R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. His project, Microglial regulation of intermittent hypoxia-induced phrenic motor plasticity, focuses on how the nervous system adapts to support breathing.
One of the most essential models of this adaptation is called phrenic long-term facilitation, a form of neural plasticity that strengthens breathing muscles after brief, repeated episodes of low oxygen (known as acute intermittent hypoxia). What began as fundamental discovery science in rodents has since inspired new clinical approaches aimed at restoring breathing ability in people with conditions such as cervical spinal cord injury and ALS.
Building on this progress, Dr. Mitchell’s renewal will investigate how the brain’s immune cells (microglia) and natural day-night rhythms interact to shape this form of plasticity. Because humans and rodents have opposite diurnal cycles, this research could provide important insights for translating laboratory discoveries into effective therapies for people.