APOE, fats, and immune responses in human brain cells
Official title: ApoE, lipid and immune mechanisms of human neurons and glia
Funded at Mclean Hospital · NIH-11456939 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how different APOE genes change the way brain cells handle fats and inflammation for people affected by Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lewy body dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mclean Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Belmont, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $761,432 |
| NIH project number | 4R01AG080636-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11456939 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or Lewy body dementia and people who carry the APOE ε4 allele could be most relevant as future donors or candidates for related clinical work.
✕Less likely to help
People without neurodegenerative disease or whose illness is driven by non-APOE mechanisms may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers grow human stem-cell–derived neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the lab to model how these brain cells interact. They change levels of glycolipids and cholesterol and add inflammatory signals to see how APOE variants (for example, ε3 versus ε4) alter cell behavior. The team measures lipid transfer, cellular stress responses, and signs of synaptic or neuronal damage to map pathways that lead to degeneration. The results aim to identify steps where therapies might prevent or slow brain cell damage in neurodegenerative disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to proteins or pathways to target with new treatments that slow or prevent neuron loss in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lewy body dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked APOE to Alzheimer’s risk, but using human iPSC-derived neurons, astrocytes, and microglia together to study lipid and immune interactions is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Mclean Hospital
Belmont, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Isacson, Ole — Mclean Hospital
- Study coordinator: Isacson, Ole
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.