Finding what controls production of tau protein (MAPT)
Official title: Identification of trans-regulatory elements controlling MAPT transcription
Funded at Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology · NIH-11322083 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for proteins that turn the tau gene on and off so future pill-based treatments might lower tau for people with Alzheimer’s and other tau-related brain diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntsville, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $719,360 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085357-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322083 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with Alzheimer’s disease dementia or other neurodegenerative disorders involving tau accumulation would be the most relevant patient group for future therapies stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose memory problems are not related to tau pathology, or those who cannot take small-molecule medications, are less likely to benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
From my perspective, the team will use large-scale genomic and biochemical tools to find which proteins (called transcription factors) control how the MAPT gene makes tau in brain cells and disease models. They will combine information about DNA regulatory regions near MAPT with high-throughput experimental screens to test candidate regulators. The work may use human brain-derived data, cell systems, and animal models to confirm which factors are important. Once key regulators are found, researchers will explore whether those targets can be acted on by small-molecule drugs that could be taken orally instead of with invasive delivery methods.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to targets for oral drugs that lower tau and potentially slow or reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other tau-related neurodegenerative diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Lowering tau has shown promise in other approaches such as antisense oligonucleotides, but finding and drugging transcriptional regulators for oral therapies is a relatively new and largely untested path.
Where this research is happening
-
Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology
Huntsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cochran, Jesse N — Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology
- Study coordinator: Cochran, Jesse N
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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.