Chemical tools to spot formaldehyde inside cells
Chemical Probes to Study Formaldehyde Biology
Researchers are building chemical probes that can find and track formaldehyde in cells to better understand its role in diseases like cancer, liver, heart, and brain disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286832 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project develops new fluorescent probes and chemoproteomics reagents to image formaldehyde at subcellular locations and to capture proteins that react with it. Scientists will apply these tools in cellular and genetic models, including CRISPR-modified systems where formaldehyde metabolism is disrupted. The work combines subcellular imaging of formaldehyde and its enzymatic oxidation to formate with unbiased activity-based protein profiling to map formaldehyde sources and targets. Findings from these lab models could later guide studies in human tissues or patient samples.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll patients directly but is most relevant to people with conditions linked to formaldehyde (for example certain cancers, chronic liver disease, cardiovascular or neurodegenerative disorders) who might benefit from future clinical work informed by these tools.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or those without diseases related to aldehyde biology are unlikely to get direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could reveal how formaldehyde contributes to disease and help guide new ways to diagnose, prevent, or treat conditions linked to aldehyde damage.
How similar studies have performed: Related chemical probe and activity-based proteomics methods have worked well in other molecular contexts, but applying them specifically to formaldehyde biology and subcellular imaging is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Princeton, UNITED STATES
- Princeton University — Princeton, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Christopher J. — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Chang, Christopher J.
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.