How aging changes individual cells using advanced mass cytometry
Single-Cell Molecular Pathway Analysis in Aging Systems via Novel Mass Cytometry Methods
This project develops new metal-based single-cell imaging tools to reveal how cells change with aging, aiming to help people with age-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323065 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is creating metal-bearing molecular probes and imaging methods to read molecular pathways inside single cells. They will deliver these probes into live cells to follow processes like protein production, modification, and delivery of small RNA tools, then fix the cells to measure proteins and mRNA markers. Using mass cytometry (CyTOF) and multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI‑ToF) with barcoded prenylation probes, they will analyze mixed cell samples at high detail. These methods will be applied in mouse cells and tissues to study links between autophagy (cell self-cleaning) and cellular aging.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with age-related conditions or older adults interested in contributing samples or future trials would be the most relevant group for this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or those with conditions unrelated to aging are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this methods-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new biomarkers and targets for age-related diseases and improve how researchers test therapies for aging problems.
How similar studies have performed: CyTOF and MIBI‑ToF have been used successfully for detailed single-cell analysis, but combining metal-bearing metabolic probes and prenylation barcodes to study aging is a novel extension.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arriaga, Edgar a — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Arriaga, Edgar a
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.