How chemically damaged RNA might drive ALS
Official title: Elucidating the role of RNA oxidation on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis onset and progression
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11235928 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will look at whether chemically damaged RNA in nerve cells causes motor neuron loss and speeds up ALS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $379,337 |
| NIH project number | 5R00NS121511-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11235928 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with ALS, especially early-stage patients willing to provide blood or skin samples for creating patient-derived cells.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate treatment benefit may not gain from this project because it focuses on laboratory mechanisms rather than testing a therapy.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, scientists will grow motor nerve cells from human stem cells to see which RNA messages become chemically damaged early in ALS. They will identify proteins that bind to those damaged RNAs and test what happens when those proteins are reduced or removed in the lab cells. The team will compare findings to patient tissues and animal models to link damaged RNAs to nerve cell death and other ALS features. This work aims to map the specific RNA changes that could trigger or worsen ALS.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new molecular targets to slow or prevent motor neuron loss in ALS.
How similar studies have gone: Previous reports found high levels of oxidized RNA in ALS patient tissues and mouse models, but directly linking specific oxidized transcripts and binding proteins to neuron death is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chaim, Isaac Alexander — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Chaim, Isaac Alexander
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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NUZ-001: a treatment option for ALS to protect nerve cells
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This grant aims to get ready for a preventive treatment for people who carry the C9orf72 genetic change that can lead to ALS or frontotemporal dementia.
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Air pollutants and ALS: mapping environmental links to motor neuron disease
This NIH grant explores whether different air pollutants are linked to the development of ALS and uses a large U.S. data set to look for environmental risk factors.
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.