Causes and Effects of Somatic Mutations in Parkinson’s Disease
Official title: Causes and Effects of Somatic Mutation in Parkinson’s disease
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11450923 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how random DNA changes in brain cells might contribute to Parkinson’s disease, aiming to understand why neurons die as people age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $693,825 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG097675-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11450923 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Parkinson’s disease or at-risk individuals whose brain tissue or related samples could be analyzed in future studies.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without PD are unlikely to directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one has Parkinson’s, this research could shed light on why certain brain cells accumulate mutations and how those changes relate to neuron loss. The team has developed new methods to study mutations in single neurons from human brain tissue to understand their origins and consequences. They will analyze how aging, DNA repair, and mutational processes interact in PD brains using advanced bioinformatics. The findings could point to new angles for treatment or prevention focused on genomic stability in neurons.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of the genetic factors in PD could lead to new strategies to protect neurons and slow disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that neurons harbor somatic mutations and that these accumulate with age, supporting the potential relevance of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lodato, Michael Anthony — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Lodato, Michael Anthony
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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.