How nerve cells sort and send tiny packages of molecules
Official title: Roles of Recycling Endosomes in Neuronal Extracellular Vesicle Cargo Traffic
Funded at Brandeis University · NIH-11238967 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how neurons package and release tiny vesicles that could affect Alzheimer’s disease and might point to future treatments for people with Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brandeis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waltham, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2017 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $478,251 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS103967-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238967 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Although this lab work does not enroll people, those affected by Alzheimer’s disease are the long-term intended beneficiaries and could be future candidates for therapies guided by these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking an immediate treatment or wishing to join a clinical trial will not directly benefit because the project uses basic lab experiments in fruit flies rather than human participants.
What this research studies
You can think of cells as sending tiny packages (extracellular vesicles) that carry important proteins and signals between neurons. Researchers will use fruit flies to watch these packages at nerve endings using genetics, high-resolution microscopy, and biochemical tools to track and change how cargo moves. They focus on recycling endosomes — parts of the cell that decide whether cargo is repackaged into vesicles or sent away — to learn how that sorting happens in living neurons. The findings aim to reveal mechanisms that might underlie how harmful proteins spread in Alzheimer’s and to guide later human-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify cellular steps to target with therapies that slow or block harmful protein spread in Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked extracellular vesicles to neurodegeneration, but the specific role of recycling endosomes at synapses is a relatively new and evolving area of study.
Where this research is happening
-
Brandeis University
Waltham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rodal, Avital Adah — Brandeis University
- Study coordinator: Rodal, Avital Adah
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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.