Boosting the Arc protein to help thinking and memory in psychotic illnesses
Official title: Targeting Arc to Improve Cognitive Deficits in Psychotic Disorders
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11325042 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether increasing the brain protein Arc can improve thinking and memory for adults with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $830,015 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134923-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11325042 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who are experiencing cognitive problems such as memory loss, slow thinking, or difficulty concentrating would be the likely candidates for related clinical efforts.
✕Less likely to help
People without psychotic disorders, children, or those whose cognitive issues are due to stroke, advanced neurodegeneration, or other non-psychotic causes would be unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying a brain protein called Arc that helps with synaptic plasticity and memory, because problems with Arc may underlie thinking difficulties in psychotic illnesses. In the lab they screened drugs in mouse cortical neurons to find compounds that increase Arc, and found the antipsychotic lurasidone as a strong enhancer. The team will use animal models and molecular tools (including CRISPR and other assays) to see if boosting Arc improves learning and memory and to identify candidate small molecules for translation. The long-term aim is to move promising compounds toward treatments that could help patients with persistent cognitive symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new medications that improve memory, attention, and everyday thinking for people with psychotic disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Some clinical and animal studies suggest lurasidone can help cognition and preclinical work supports Arc's role in memory, but directly targeting Arc as a therapeutic approach is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karmacharya, Rakesh — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Karmacharya, Rakesh
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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.