Boosting the cell cleanup system to protect against aging and Alzheimer's
Official title: Priming the proteasome to protect against aging and Alzheimer's disease
Funded at University of South Dakota · NIH-11297483 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will see whether changing a tiny chemical switch on the cell's protein-cleaning machinery helps prevent aging-related damage and Alzheimer's changes in the brain and heart.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Dakota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Vermillion, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $507,242 |
| NIH project number | 4R01AG072510-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11297483 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with early-stage Alzheimer's, those at high genetic risk for Alzheimer's, or older adults interested in prevention would be the eventual intended beneficiaries of therapies developed from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of dementia or those in very advanced stages of Alzheimer’s are less likely to directly benefit from this preclinical, mouse-focused research.
What this research studies
This work uses specially engineered mice to change phosphorylation at a single site (Ser14) on the proteasome regulatory protein Rpn6 and observes how that change affects aging and Alzheimer’s-like pathology. Scientists will study mice that mimic phosphorylation and mice that block phosphorylation, and will cross those with an established Alzheimer’s mouse model to compare outcomes. They will follow brain and heart tissues over time for protein clumping, molecular markers of proteasome function, and signs of disease. The goal is to learn whether altering this proteasome switch can reduce the protein buildup linked to Alzheimer’s and related aging problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new drug targets that protect brain and heart cells from harmful protein buildup and slow or prevent Alzheimer's progression.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab studies have linked proteasome regulation to clearing misfolded proteins and aging, but using Ser14-Rpn6 phosphorylation knock-in models crossed with AD mice is a novel, preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xuejun — University of South Dakota
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xuejun
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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.