Herpesvirus-linked Alzheimer's changes in the brain
Official title: Alzheimer's Disease associated pathology induced by neurotropic viral infection
Funded at Upstate Medical University · NIH-11173886 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether common brain herpesviruses cause Alzheimer's-related changes in human brain cells to help people at risk for or living with Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Upstate Medical University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Syracuse, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $571,563 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG076007-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173886 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people with Alzheimer's disease, individuals at higher genetic risk (for example, APOE ε4 carriers), or volunteers willing to provide blood, brain tissue, or other biological samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatments or those without Alzheimer's-related concerns are unlikely to receive direct, short-term benefit from this lab-based research.
What this research studies
This work uses lab-grown human brain tissue made from stem cells to model how neurons respond to infection by neurotropic herpesviruses like HSV-1 and HHV6a. Scientists infect 3D human iPSC-derived cortical models and measure changes in key Alzheimer's markers, including Tau misfolding, abnormal Tau phosphorylation, and altered Tau mRNA splicing. The team aims to define how viral infection changes the cellular environment and whether it increases accumulation of proteins known to drive Alzheimer's pathology. Results could point to infectious triggers that affect the timing or severity of disease and suggest new prevention or treatment directions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could identify viral triggers of Alzheimer's pathology and open new prevention or treatment approaches such as antiviral or immune-targeted strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has detected herpesviruses in Alzheimer's brains and shown lab links between infection and amyloid or tau changes, but establishing causality in human-relevant models is still a novel and developing area.
Where this research is happening
-
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Murphy, Eain a — Upstate Medical University
- Study coordinator: Murphy, Eain a
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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.