Microbe-made bile acid therapy for Alzheimer's
Microbial Synthesis of Therapeutic Bile Acids for Alzheimer's Disease
The team will use engineered microbes to produce UDCA and related compounds and test them as potential treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Metselex, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (apple valley, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11178692 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are engineering yeast to make UDCA (a bile acid) and then creating related drug-like molecules from that material. They will scale up the microbial production process so enough compound can be made for further testing. The UDCA and its derivatives will be tested in lab-grown brain cell models and in animal models of Alzheimer's to look for beneficial effects. If the lab results are promising, the work is intended to support later development toward human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: There is no patient enrollment in this preclinical project; in the future, people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease could be candidates for clinical trials of UDCA-derived therapies.
Not a fit: Right now patients will not receive direct benefit from this lab- and animal-focused work, and people with non‑Alzheimer dementias or very advanced disease may not benefit from eventual UDCA-based treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new UDCA-based medicines that slow or modify Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous cell and animal studies of UDCA and related bile acids have shown some promise, but human evidence is limited and the microbial production approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
apple valley, UNITED STATES
- Metselex, INC. — apple valley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smanski, Michael J — Metselex, INC.
- Study coordinator: Smanski, Michael J
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 below.