How pigment and tau build-up in the brain's locus coeruleus change nearby gene activity
Official title: Impact of neuromelanin and Tau accumulation during aging and disease on local gene expression in the human locus coeruleus using spatially-resolved transcriptomics with protein detection
Funded at Lieber Institute, INC. · NIH-11309148 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will map how pigment (neuromelanin) and tau protein build-up in a tiny brain center linked to Alzheimer's alter local gene activity in brain tissue from people with and without Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lieber Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $838,150 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085933-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309148 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be individuals with Alzheimer's disease (or without dementia) who can consent to brain donation after death through a brain bank or the collaborating institute.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatment or who cannot participate in brain donation will not directly benefit from joining this project.
What this research studies
This project uses donated human brain tissue to look at the locus coeruleus, a small brain region that shows early changes in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists will combine high-resolution spatial gene mapping with methods that detect neuromelanin pigment and phosphorylated tau protein so they can see where gene activity and these proteins line up in the tissue. They will compare samples from people with Alzheimer's to middle-aged and age-matched people without dementia to find patterns tied to aging and disease. The work is descriptive and uses post-mortem samples rather than testing treatments in living patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal early molecular changes in a key brain region that point to new biomarkers or therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown early tau accumulation in the locus coeruleus and age-related neuromelanin build-up, but combining spatial transcriptomics with protein detection in human LC tissue is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Lieber Institute, INC.
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martinowich, Keri — Lieber Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Martinowich, Keri
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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.