How aging nerve cells and inflammation may drive Alzheimer’s
Official title: Neuronal senescence and inflammation in Alzheimer's disease
Funded at Salk Institute for Biological Studies · NIH-11349872 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using small skin samples from people with and without Alzheimer’s, researchers will make aged brain cells in the lab to look at signs of cellular aging and inflammation that might cause memory loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $393,750 |
| NIH project number | 4R37AG072502-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349872 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease and age-matched volunteers who can provide a small skin biopsy or fibroblast sample for lab work.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot or do not want to donate tissue, or those with early-onset genetic Alzheimer’s focused on different causes, are unlikely to see direct benefit from this lab-based work.
What this research studies
Scientists will take small skin samples (fibroblasts) and convert them directly into neurons that keep the donor’s age-related features. They will compare neurons from people with Alzheimer’s to neurons from healthy older adults to find cells showing signs of senescence (cellular aging) and inflammation. The team will read gene activity and chromatin accessibility (RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq) in senescent versus non-senescent cells to pinpoint molecular differences. This work aims to reveal specific age-linked changes in neurons that could explain why older brains become vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets to slow or prevent Alzheimer’s by addressing age-related cell changes and inflammation.
How similar studies have gone: Using induced neurons that retain donor age is a relatively new approach with promising early results for revealing disease changes, but it has not yet produced direct treatments for patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gage, Fred H — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Gage, Fred H
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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.