Off-the-shelf immune cells designed to clear Alzheimer's plaques
Off-the-shelf CAR-Engineered Macrophage Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
This project will try a ready-made engineered immune cell therapy to help people with Alzheimer's reduce amyloid buildup and harmful brain inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266237 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating macrophage immune cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells and engineering them with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that targets Alzheimer's-related misfolded proteins like amyloid-beta. These cells are being produced as HLA-compatible, off-the-shelf products so they would not need to be made from each patient's own cells. The team will test the engineered macrophages in laboratory and animal models to measure their ability to clear amyloid, control neuroinflammation, and demonstrate safety. Successful preclinical results would support moving toward future human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with early-stage Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment who have evidence of amyloid pathology would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: Those with very advanced Alzheimer's, non-amyloid forms of dementia, or medical conditions that increase risk of brain bleeding or edema are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could become a more accessible cell-based therapy that clears amyloid, reduces brain inflammation, and potentially slows cognitive decline with fewer infusions and lower cost than some antibody treatments.
How similar studies have performed: CAR cell therapies have been transformative in cancer and anti-amyloid antibodies have slowed decline in some Alzheimer's patients, but CAR-engineered macrophage therapy for Alzheimer's is largely experimental and has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sadowski, Martin Joseph — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Sadowski, Martin Joseph
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.