Cellular aging in Alzheimer's disease: finding senescent cells and their patterns
Official title: Cellular Senescence in Alzheimer's Disease: Detection and Characterization
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11605840 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will study whether aging-like cells called senescent cells appear in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and what their patterns mean for disease progression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $832,114 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AG102998-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11605840 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, and those contributing iPSC-derived brain cell models from patients.
✕Less likely to help
People without Alzheimer's disease or related dementias may not directly benefit from these brain-focused studies.
What this research studies
This project focuses on identifying and characterizing senescent cells in the human brain of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It aims to develop new methods to detect these cells at the single-cell level, validate these methods in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia derived from patient cells, and set clear thresholds to distinguish senescent from non-senescent cells. The work will generate detailed datasets and tools that can guide future therapies targeting senescence in Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more precise strategies to target harmful brain cells and slow disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests senescent-like changes occur in aging brains, but this project aims to define brain cell-type–specific senescence states with validated tools.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beckmann, Noam — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Beckmann, Noam
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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.