Making brain-targeted protein degraders work for Alzheimer’s related dementia
Official title: Control of Degrader Conformation and Pharmacokinetics Via Bio-Inspired Promoiety Conjugation
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11454080 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at UC San Diego aims to develop smarter drug molecules that can cross the brain barrier and selectively remove disease-related proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, with potential benefits for people living with dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $408,012 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG098495-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454080 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias who may benefit from future brain-penetrant therapies could be future trial candidates.
✕Less likely to help
This early-stage research does not yet offer a therapy and may not benefit patients unless later developed and tested clinically.
What this research studies
This project focuses on designing and testing large, flexible therapeutic molecules called degraders that can guide harmful brain proteins to be destroyed. The team will create new lab workflows and prodrug strategies to improve how these degraders get into the brain and stay effective at low doses. They will screen and optimize dual-binding compounds that can hijack natural transport pathways to reach the brain and act on targets relevant to dementia. The work is early-stage and relies on experimental models to establish general methods before moving toward patient-ready approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to new dementia therapies that better reach the brain and reduce disease-causing proteins.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows targeted protein degraders have worked in cancer, but applying them to dementia and brain delivery is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ferguson, Fleur Marcia — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Ferguson, Fleur Marcia
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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.