Harmful changes in brain immune cells in Alzheimer's
Official title: Neurodegenerative reprograming of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease
Funded at Advanced Science Research Center · NIH-11245789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how brain immune cells called microglia become damaging in Alzheimer's disease and whether reversing a stress pathway can stop that harm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Advanced Science Research Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $510,365 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085404-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11245789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for related human components are people with Alzheimer's disease or their families who can donate brain tissue or participate in related observational or biomarker studies, especially those with the APOE-ε4 risk gene.
✕Less likely to help
People without Alzheimer's or those expecting an immediate treatment benefit are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this basic and translational research now.
What this research studies
From my point of view as a patient, researchers will study microglia using both mouse models of Alzheimer's and human brain samples to understand when these cells turn harmful. They will flip a specific stress pathway called the integrated stress response (ISR) on or off only in microglia in novel mouse models to observe effects on synapses and disease features. The team will compare those mouse results with ultrastructural observations of 'dark' microglia in human brains to connect lab findings to people. The goal is to pinpoint molecular triggers that create neurodegenerative microglia so future therapies can target them.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new treatments that prevent microglia-driven synapse loss and slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical work, including the investigators' mouse experiments, has shown that altering the ISR in microglia can worsen or improve neurodegenerative effects, so this builds on promising early evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Advanced Science Research Center
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ayata, Pinar — Advanced Science Research Center
- Study coordinator: Ayata, Pinar
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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.