How age-related changes in blood cells may harm organs
Disrupted Communication Between Blood Cells and Non-blood Organs as a Mediator of Aging Pathologies
Researchers will create common age-related mutations in blood cells of mice and watch whether those changes cause muscle, heart, or brain problems that look like aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11314531 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you care about aging, this project tests whether mutant blood cells send harmful signals to other organs. The team will use a gene-editing method to make specific mutations in certain blood cell types in mice that match mutations seen in older people. They will follow the animals over time and look for signs of aging in skeletal muscle, heart, and brain. The researchers will also compare different mutations to see which ones most strongly affect organ health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with evidence of clonal hematopoiesis or age-related blood-cell mutations—most often older adults (commonly 65+ and particularly those 85+)—would be the group most relevant to this line of research.
Not a fit: Young healthy people without age-related blood changes or those whose problems are unrelated to blood-cell signals are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, the work could point to blood-based targets for treatments that slow or prevent age-related organ decline.
How similar studies have performed: Observational human studies have linked clonal blood-cell expansions to higher risk of non-blood organ diseases, but using in vivo gene editing in animals to test causality is a novel experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Harvard University — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagers, Amy Jo — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Wagers, Amy Jo
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.