How AMPA receptors change during learning and memory
The Dynamic AMPA Receptor Interactome During Plasticity and Learning
['FUNDING_R37'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11417027
This project looks at how AMPA receptors — brain proteins essential for memory — change during learning in ways that could matter for people with Alzheimer's disease or autism.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R37'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11417027 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This lab project maps how AMPA receptors, the brain's main excitatory receptors, interact with other proteins while mice learn. Researchers attach a tiny biotin-labeling enzyme called miniTurbo to parts of AMPA receptors and deliver these modified receptors into the mouse hippocampus using viral vectors. After learning tasks they harvest tissue and use mass spectrometry to identify proteins that come near AMPARs both outside and inside the cell. Comparing these interactions over time aims to reveal molecular changes that support synaptic plasticity and memory.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with memory problems such as Alzheimer's disease or individuals with conditions linked to synaptic dysfunction, including some forms of autism, are the groups most likely to benefit from follow-up therapies informed by this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatments or those whose conditions are unrelated to synaptic plasticity, such as purely vascular disorders, are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new molecular targets to protect or restore memory and help guide therapies for Alzheimer's disease and other conditions with synapse dysfunction.
How similar studies have performed: Proximity-dependent biotinylation has been used successfully to map synapse composition in vivo, but applying miniTurbo to track AMPA receptor interactions during learning is a novel application.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: HUGANIR, RICHARD L — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: HUGANIR, RICHARD L
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.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Autistic Disorder