Cell-by-cell maps of gene regulation in Alzheimer's brains
Single-cell Epigenome Analysis of the Alzheimer's Disease Brain
Creating detailed, cell-level maps of how genes and their on/off switches work in Alzheimer's and healthy brains to help researchers develop better tests and treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Epigenome Technologies, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194472 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses a single-cell multi-omic method (Droplet Paired-Tag) on human post-mortem brain tissue to read both gene activity and epigenetic marks in individual brain cells. The team will optimize protocols for hippocampus, white matter, and cerebellum from Alzheimer's and control donors and produce standardized kits and reference materials. They will build a manufacturing quality management system to make the method reliable and reproducible for broader use. The goal is to enable researchers to link noncoding genetic risk variants to specific cell types and gene regulation changes in Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with Alzheimer's (or their families) who are willing to enroll in brain donation programs or otherwise provide post-mortem tissue for research.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatments or those unwilling to participate in brain donation are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal cell-specific disease mechanisms and point to new targets for diagnostics and therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Single-cell and multi-omic studies have already started to identify cell-specific changes in Alzheimer's, and this project builds on promising Droplet Paired-Tag results by focusing on optimization and scalable kit production.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, UNITED STATES
- Epigenome Technologies, INC. — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hartl, Christopher — Epigenome Technologies, INC.
- Study coordinator: Hartl, Christopher
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.