Developing a sensor to help discover drugs for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Official title: Fluorescent IRE sensor for synucleinopathy drug discovery
Funded at Lucerna, INC. · NIH-10708197 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to find potential drugs for conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by looking for specific RNA structures in the brain, which could help develop treatments that slow down or stop the diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lucerna, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $874,414 |
| NIH project number | 5R44NS130946-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10708197 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are elderly individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other synucleinopathies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-synucleinopathy related forms of dementia or younger individuals without these conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on creating a new assay to help identify potential drugs for synucleinopathies, which include Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. By using a high-throughput screening method, the researchers aim to validate a platform that can detect RNA structures involved in these diseases. This approach could lead to new treatments by targeting the abnormal proteins that accumulate in the brains of affected individuals. Patients may benefit from advancements in drug discovery that could slow or halt disease progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that significantly improve the quality of life for patients with synucleinopathies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in targeting RNA structures for drug discovery, indicating that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Lucerna, INC.
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shen, Wen — Lucerna, INC.
- Study coordinator: Shen, Wen
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.