How 'jumping genes' (LINE‑1) affect brain cells in Alzheimer’s
Project 4: Consequences of Retrotransposable Element Activation in the Central Nervous System
This research tests whether blocking active 'jumping genes' called LINE‑1 in brain cells from people with Alzheimer’s can reduce inflammation and cell damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11242062 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use brain cells made from samples donated by people with Alzheimer’s and similar‑aged healthy donors to study activity of LINE‑1, a type of 'jumping gene' linked to aging. They will grow neurons, support cells, and 3‑D mini‑brain organoids from those samples to see how LINE‑1 activity affects cell aging, inflammation, and chromatin stability. The team will compare Alzheimer’s-derived cells to control cells and try treatments that suppress LINE‑1 to see if cell health and inflammatory signals improve. Results could point to new drug targets to slow neuroinflammation and cell damage in Alzheimer’s.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with sporadic late‑onset Alzheimer’s disease and age‑matched healthy older adults who can donate blood or skin samples for cell modeling are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatments or those with rare familial early‑onset Alzheimer’s mutations may not directly benefit from this lab‑based, preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to block LINE‑1 activity that slow inflammation and neuron loss in Alzheimer’s.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked LINE‑1 activity to aging and inflammation, but applying patient‑derived 3‑D brain models to test LINE‑1 blocking is relatively new and early stage.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gage, Fred H — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Gage, Fred H
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.