Investigating the toxicity of protein aggregates
Official title: Are all Protein Aggregates Toxic?
Funded at Michigan Technological University · NIH-10798900 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking into whether all clumps of proteins in the body are harmful, using special techniques to learn more about their structure and how it relates to their toxicity, which could help people with diseases caused by protein misfolding.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan Technological University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houghton, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $100,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R15GM148964-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10798900 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals affected by diseases associated with protein misfolding and aggregation, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by protein aggregation-related diseases may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding whether all protein aggregates are toxic by utilizing advanced techniques such as Circular Dichroism Spectropolarimetry. By characterizing the physicochemical properties of various protein aggregates, the research aims to correlate their structure with toxicity levels. Patients may benefit from insights gained about protein misfolding and aggregation, which are relevant to various diseases. The study employs a combination of biophysical and biochemical methods to achieve its goals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding and treatment options for diseases related to protein aggregation.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in using biophysical methods to study protein aggregation, indicating that this approach is promising.
Where this research is happening
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Michigan Technological University
Houghton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tiwari, Ashutosh — Michigan Technological University
- Study coordinator: Tiwari, Ashutosh
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.