Alzheimer's patient stem cells reveal which forms of tau and amyloid‑beta are toxic
Official title: Exploiting Alzheimer's disease patient-derived stem cells to biochemically define tau and amyloid-beta oligomer toxic features and their downstream cellular effects
Funded at Wesleyan University · NIH-11314499 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses brain‑like tissue made from Alzheimer's patients' stem cells to find which forms of amyloid‑beta and tau damage different brain cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wesleyan University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Middletown, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $328,600 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078187-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314499 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (including those with known AD‑related genetic changes) who can provide a blood or skin sample and give informed consent to tissue donation.
✕Less likely to help
This is lab‑based research using donated cells, so participants should not expect direct or immediate treatment benefits from taking part.
What this research studies
If you donate a blood or skin sample, researchers will turn your cells into stem cells and grow them as 3‑dimensional mini‑brains that mimic the human cortex. Those organoids will be used to produce amyloid‑beta and tau oligomers similar to those in Alzheimer's brains. Scientists will chemically describe the different oligomer forms and test how each one harms neurons and glial cells separately. The goal is to map which structural features cause toxicity and to trace the steps by which cells are damaged.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could pinpoint the exact toxic forms of amyloid‑beta and tau and guide development of more precise therapies to prevent or slow brain cell damage.
How similar studies have gone: Patient‑derived stem cell organoids have been used to recreate some Alzheimer's features before, but directly linking specific oligomer structures to cellular toxicity is still a relatively new and evolving approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Wesleyan University
Middletown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'neil, Alison Linsley — Wesleyan University
- Study coordinator: O'neil, Alison Linsley
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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.