Creating brain immune cells that clear Alzheimer’s plaques
In Vivo Production of CAR-Microglia for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease
This project will make and deliver engineered brain immune cells to help people with Alzheimer’s remove harmful amyloid plaques.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258902 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers plan to equip the brain’s own immune cells (microglia) with a new receptor that recognizes and clears amyloid-beta plaques linked to Alzheimer’s. They will produce these engineered microglia inside the brain using targeted delivery methods and test whether they reduce plaque burden and harmful inflammation. The work builds on antibody approaches that can remove plaques but sometimes trigger damaging inflammation, so the team will monitor immune responses closely. Early work is translational and focused on developing a safe, effective way to get these modified cells to act in the human brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment with evidence of amyloid on imaging.
Not a fit: People with late-stage dementia, non-amyloid forms of dementia, or significant frailty are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce amyloid plaques and potentially slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s.
How similar studies have performed: Immune cell engineering (CAR) has been successful in cancer, and anti-amyloid antibodies have lowered plaques but caused inflammatory side effects, while CAR-microglia for Alzheimer’s is a novel and largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Jun — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Huang, Jun
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.