How nerve-cell signaling controls synapses for learning and memory
Official title: Neuronal Intracellular Signaling Underlying Synaptic, Circuit and Behavioral Plasticity
Funded at Max Planck Florida Corporation · NIH-11324591 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are building new imaging and genetic tools to watch and control tiny signaling events inside brain cells to better understand memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Max Planck Florida Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Jupiter, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 1, 2020 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,158,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35NS116804-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324591 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not currently enroll people, but its results would be most relevant to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or age-related memory loss.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate treatment or clinical benefit should not expect direct help from this basic laboratory research because it is preclinical.
What this research studies
They are creating advanced optical and genetic methods to see and manipulate signaling molecules inside individual nerve-cell branches called dendritic spines. Experiments will be done in brain tissue slices and in awake, behaving animals so the team can link molecular signals to changes in synapses, brain circuits, and behavior. The project uses genome-editing, optogenetics, and high-speed microscopy to track natural proteins in real time. By mapping when and where signals happen during learning-related plasticity, the researchers hope to reveal mechanisms that break down in Alzheimer's.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify molecular steps to target for future therapies that protect or restore memory in Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Related animal studies using imaging and optogenetics have successfully mapped signaling and synaptic changes, but translating those findings into human treatments remains early and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Max Planck Florida Corporation
Jupiter, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yasuda, Ryohei — Max Planck Florida Corporation
- Study coordinator: Yasuda, Ryohei
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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.