Chromatin helpers to protect aging and metabolic health
Official title: Chromatin Signaling Mechanisms in Metabolic Aging and Disease
Funded at Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research · NIH-11109241 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in mice and cells will look at how a specific protein, SIRT7, controls DNA packaging and metabolism as we age, with the aim of finding ways to prevent aging-related diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $542,730 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG093112-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109241 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with aging-related metabolic issues or those at risk for age-associated diseases who may benefit from future translational therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or those without aging-related metabolic risk may have little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will explore how SIRT7 controls chromatin and gene activity in aging, using mouse models where SIRT7 is removed or overexpressed, along with biochemical and genomic techniques. By studying how histone deacetylation affects metabolic and age-related changes, the research aims to identify pathways that keep cells healthy longer. The work combines cellular experiments, mouse genetics, and genome-wide analyses to map how aging-related processes are deregulated. Results could point to new targets for therapies that mitigate fatty liver, cardiac disease, and stem cell aging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal keys to preserving metabolic health and slow aging-related diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work links SIRT7 and chromatin regulation to aging, with some models showing protective effects against aging phenotypes; this study builds on those findings in mammals.
Where this research is happening
-
Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chua, Katrin F. — Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
- Study coordinator: Chua, Katrin F.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
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.