Gene-edited marmosets and lab-grown brain cells to understand Alzheimer's
Genetic Engineering Core
This project makes gene-edited marmosets and patient-like brain cells so scientists can better understand how Alzheimer's begins and progresses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168701 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team uses CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce human Alzheimer's risk genes into common marmosets and develops methods to make those genetic changes pass reliably to offspring. They will also create fibroblast cell lines and convert them into induced neural stem cells and neurons that resemble patient brain cells. The core is working on better ovarian stimulation and techniques to reduce mosaicism so edits are more consistent. These animal and cell models are intended to give researchers more realistic tools to test ideas before moving toward human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers who want to follow preclinical research and future trial opportunities would be most interested.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment, enrollment in a clinical drug trial, or direct therapeutic benefit are unlikely to gain direct benefit because this work focuses on animal models and lab-grown cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed development of better Alzheimer's treatments by providing more accurate animal models and human-like brain cells for testing therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Related gene-editing and patient-derived cell models have been used successfully elsewhere, but creating reliable CRISPR-edited marmoset models for Alzheimer's is relatively new and still being refined.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Homanics, Gregg E. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Homanics, Gregg E.
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.