How early-life stress creates lasting changes in the brain linked to anxiety
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Chronic Stress Action
This project looks at how stressful events in childhood can leave lasting chemical marks on brain cells that may increase the chance of anxiety or depression later in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237051 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models of early-life stress to map long-lived epigenetic or "chromatin" changes in a brain region called the nucleus accumbens. They will apply broad proteomic and next-generation sequencing tools to find cell-type-specific changes and then study how those changes affect cells, brain circuits, and behavior. Crucially, the team will check whether the same molecular marks appear in postmortem nucleus accumbens samples from people with depression or anxiety. One major focus is a histone modification called H3K79me2 that prior work found is strongly affected by early stress.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a history of significant early-life stress who have long-term anxiety or depression, and families willing to consider brain donation after death, are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People whose anxiety or depression began without early-life stress or whose conditions are unrelated to stress biology may be less likely to benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to molecular targets for new treatments aimed at reducing lifelong stress sensitivity in people who experienced early-life trauma.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and postmortem human studies have linked early stress to epigenetic changes, but this cell-type-specific, proteomic and sequencing focus—especially on H3K79me2—represents a newer, more detailed approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nestler, Eric J. — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Nestler, Eric J.
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.