Brain enzymes that control protein signals in Alzheimer’s disease
Serine/Threonine Phosphatases in Neurological Diseases
Researchers are mapping how a brain enzyme called calcineurin controls protein signals that go wrong in Alzheimer’s disease to help point to new treatment targets.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Farmington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257673 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be supporting work to map how the enzyme calcineurin binds and changes other proteins in neurons that are involved in Alzheimer’s and stroke. The team will use molecular tools developed by the investigators to identify calcineurin’s binding partners and the exact sites it modifies in different neuronal cell types and after different stimuli. Experiments will include lab-based neuron work and could analyze human or patient-derived samples to build a detailed interactome and substratome. The result will be a catalog researchers can use to prioritize potential drug targets or biomarkers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer’s disease or related neurodegenerative conditions who can donate samples or take part in future related clinical studies would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate symptom relief or an available therapy are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this basic science project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets or biomarkers that guide future Alzheimer’s treatments or diagnostics.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has defined calcineurin recruitment motifs and an active-site recognition sequence, supporting this approach, but mapping the full neuronal interactome is a novel extension.
Where this research is happening
Farmington, United States
- University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt — Farmington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peti, Wolfgang — University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
- Study coordinator: Peti, Wolfgang
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 below.