Pinpointing brain cell-type changes in Alzheimer's from tissue omics data
Statistical methods for population-level cell-type-specific analyses of tissue omics data for Alzheimer's disease
This project builds better ways to read gene and molecular data from brain tissue so we can tell which cell types change in Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231658 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are developing statistical tools to separate mixed tissue measurements into signals from specific brain cell types so existing brain samples tell us more. They will combine large tissue-level omics datasets with newer single-cell and DNA methylation data and use an ensemble of methods that respects cell-type hierarchies to better estimate cell proportions. The team will then search for cell-type-specific DNA methylation regions linked to Alzheimer's while accounting for spatial patterns of nearby CpG sites. Overall, the work aims to make archived and population-level brain data more informative without requiring costly single-cell profiling for every sample.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer's disease and donors (or families) who can provide brain tissue or molecular data to research biobanks are the most relevant participants for this work.
Not a fit: Individuals seeking an immediate treatment or those who cannot contribute tissue or data will not receive direct clinical benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal which brain cell types and molecular changes drive Alzheimer's, helping guide new diagnostics and treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Other studies have used single-cell and deconvolution methods to find cell-type signals in Alzheimer's, but combining ensemble deconvolution with cell-type hierarchies and cell-type-specific methylation mapping is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jiebiao — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jiebiao
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.