How cell stress sends secreted proteins to the wrong place
Characterizing Stress-dependent Secretory Protein Mistargeting
This project learns how stress in cells causes proteins that should be secreted to end up in the wrong place, which could matter for people with diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11296833 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a new laboratory assay in living human-derived cells to watch which secreted proteins are mistargeted under different kinds of cellular stress. They will test multiple secretory proteins and cell types to see which stresses trigger mistargeting. The team will also study whether mistargeted proteins are broken down or form harmful aggregates and will map the cell signaling pathways that lead to these outcomes. The goal is to link these basic mechanisms to conditions like diabetes and neurodegenerative disease so future therapies can be explored.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with diabetes or neurodegenerative conditions who might be willing to donate tissue, blood, or clinical data for related laboratory studies or participate in future trials.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate therapeutic benefit are unlikely to gain direct benefit now, because this is laboratory research focused on basic mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal why stressed cells become damaged in diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases and point to new targets to prevent harmful protein buildup.
How similar studies have performed: Basic research has uncovered some protein quality-control systems, but applying this new live-cell assay to preemptive mistargeting is comparatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Riverside, United States
- University of California Riverside — Riverside, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Genereux, Joseph — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Genereux, Joseph
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.