How exposure to the fungicide maneb may change brain development and thinking in Down syndrome
Official title: Altered Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cognition via Maneb-mediated Changes in the Thiol Redox Proteome.
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11503000 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether exposure to the fungicide maneb changes important sulfur-based proteins during early brain development and harms thinking and learning in people with Down syndrome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 1, 2017 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,887 |
| NIH project number | 4R01ES027593-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11503000 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with Down syndrome or pregnant people carrying a fetus with Down syndrome (or their caregivers) who can provide medical history or biological samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without Down syndrome or those seeking an immediate treatment for established cognitive problems are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you or a family member has Down syndrome, this project looks at whether early brain development in the hippocampus is changed by shifts in sulfur-based (thiol) proteins. Researchers will use cells from people with Down syndrome and lab models to test how exposure to maneb, a fungicide, alters these protein modifications, mitochondrial function, and basic metabolism. They will study whether those changes affect Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the birth of new neurons needed for learning and memory. By tracing these steps, the team hopes to find environmental risks and molecular targets that could help protect brain development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal environmental risks and molecular targets that lead to ways to protect early brain development and improve thinking in people with Down syndrome.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab and cell studies have shown maneb is more toxic to Down syndrome cells and alters metabolism, but directly linking thiol redox changes to Wnt signaling and hippocampal neurogenesis in Down syndrome is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roede, James R — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Roede, James R
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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.