New tools to map and measure epigenetic changes in aging and Alzheimer's disease
Official title: Development of novel epigenetic biomarkers and detection reagents for aging
Funded at Epicypher, INC. · NIH-11419580 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small grant is funding new methods to find and measure combinations of chemical tags on histones that change with aging and Alzheimer’s disease, helping identify targets and biomarkers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Epicypher, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Research Triangle Park, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,249,682 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AG091990-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419580 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals at risk for or diagnosed with AD/ADRD where chromatin-based biomarkers could be informative in the future.
✕Less likely to help
People without aging-related concerns or AD/ADRD may not directly benefit from these basic tool development efforts.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding how histone modifications interact to influence aging and Alzheimer’s disease. It aims to create novel reagents and detection approaches that can reveal patterns of multiple histone marks at once, rather than one mark at a time. By uncovering pathogenic combinations, researchers hope to identify new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets that could later benefit patients with AD/ADRD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from earlier biomarkers and new avenues for therapies targeting chromatin regulation.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests that studying multiple histone marks together can uncover patterns not seen with single marks, making this approach promising but still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Epicypher, INC.
Research Triangle Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hunt, Sabrina Robin — Epicypher, INC.
- Study coordinator: Hunt, Sabrina Robin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
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.