Cell stress and its role in Alzheimer's and related tau diseases
Official title: Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Neurodegeneration
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11360815 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is testing whether boosting a cell-protecting protein called PERK can reduce toxic tau protein in people with Alzheimer's disease and other tau-related disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2017 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX002340-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360815 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Alzheimer's disease, other tau-related dementias (including chronic traumatic encephalopathy), or known PERK/EIF2AK3 genetic variants are most likely to be relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose brain disease is driven by non-tau causes (for example, primarily vascular dementia or movement disorders without tau pathology) are less likely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
If you have Alzheimer's or another tauopathy, this project looks at why nerve cells die when a key cell stress pathway (called PERK) doesn't work properly. Researchers use neurons made from patients' stem cells to see how PERK gene variants change tau buildup and cell survival. In the lab they applied small molecules that activate PERK signaling to check whether this lowers tau problems and protects cells. The work is conducted in lab-grown human cells and could inform future treatments or clinical trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to drugs that reduce tau buildup and slow decline in Alzheimer's and other tauopathies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar lab studies targeting PERK and related stress pathways have shown promise in cell and animal models, but this strategy is still early and has not yet been proven safe or effective in people.
Where this research is happening
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Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Jonathan — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Lin, Jonathan
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.