How mood-related brain chemicals change cell proteins and affect brain plasticity
Molecular studies of neural histone monoaminylation in normal and aberrant brain plasticity
This work looks at how brain chemicals tied to mood attach to proteins in nerve cells and alter brain plasticity, which could help people with depression and related mood disorders.
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-11249640 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying a molecular process called histone monoaminylation, where neurotransmitters linked to mood add small tags to histone proteins and change gene activity in brain cells. They will use lab experiments with cells and animal models of chronic stress and compare those results with available human brain tissue and clinical data. The team will examine how these molecular changes relate to stress-driven behaviors and responses to antidepressant treatments in preclinical models. The goal is to connect these basic changes to features of mood disorders to guide future biomarkers or therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with major depressive disorder or other affective disorders, particularly those with a history of chronic stress or who can provide biological samples, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Children, people without mood disorders, and those seeking immediate clinical treatment effects are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could reveal new targets for antidepressant drugs or biomarkers to help predict who will respond to treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Chromatin and histone-related changes have been linked to stress and antidepressant responses in animal studies, but histone monoaminylation is a newer mechanism with limited human data so far.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maze, Ian S. — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Maze, Ian S.
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.