Detecting early aging in people with schizophrenia
Towards Developing Biomarkers for Premature Aging in Schizophrenia
This work looks for blood and brain markers that show early aging in people with schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195241 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze existing clinical, cognitive, blood, and brain imaging data from people with schizophrenia and matched healthy volunteers across the lifespan. They will measure proteins linked to cellular aging (senescence-associated secretory phenotype, SASP) in blood and relate those levels to physical health, thinking skills, and brain structure using MRI and diffusion imaging. The initial phase uses data from 80 people with early schizophrenia and 80 matched healthy controls, with plans to extend the approach to larger datasets. The aim is to find measurable biomarkers that could help detect and monitor premature aging in people with schizophrenia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people diagnosed with schizophrenia, especially early in illness, who can provide blood samples and participate in cognitive testing and brain scans.
Not a fit: People without schizophrenia or those unable or unwilling to undergo blood draws or MRI scans are unlikely to be included or benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to tests that identify and track premature aging in people with schizophrenia and help guide treatments to protect brain and body health.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have reported signs of accelerated aging in schizophrenia, but linking blood SASP proteins to brain imaging and clinical measures is a relatively new approach with limited clinical validation so far.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seitz-Holland, Johanna — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Seitz-Holland, Johanna
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.