Protein tools for Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration
Core B - Biomolecular tools
This project makes and labels proteins linked to Alzheimer’s and age-related macular degeneration so researchers can better understand how abnormal calcification may contribute to these conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11390451 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team will produce pure versions of proteins tied to Alzheimer’s and AMD—including vitronectin, tau, and amyloid-beta—and attach labels so they can be tracked in experiments. They will build and refine methods to add specific chemical tags and isotopic labels that support imaging and structural studies like NMR. These tools will be shared with the other projects in the grant so multiple labs can test how calcification affects cells and tissues. Overall, the Core supplies the reagents and techniques other researchers need to study disease mechanisms more precisely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer’s disease or age-related macular degeneration who are interested in contributing samples or taking part in future related studies would be most relevant to this effort.
Not a fit: Patients without Alzheimer’s or AMD, or those seeking immediate treatment changes, are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this lab-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new ways that calcification harms the brain and retina and point to targets that might slow or prevent damage in Alzheimer’s and AMD.
How similar studies have performed: Producing and labeling proteins like tau and amyloid-beta for structural and imaging experiments is an established approach, but applying these tools specifically to study calcification in Alzheimer’s and AMD is a newer direction.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marassi, Francesca M — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Marassi, Francesca M
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.