Proteostasis and Proteotoxicity Mechanisms in Alzheimer’s Disease
Official title: Protein Homeostasis and Proteotoxicity Mechanisms
Funded at Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research · NIH-11391948 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how faulty protein folding drives Alzheimer’s disease and how the cell's quality-control system could be targeted to help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2015 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,819,891 |
| NIH project number | 2RF1NS088485-11A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391948 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease dementia or related Alzheimer’s disease conditions who participate in related clinical or biomarker studies may benefit from advances informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
This project is basic-science focused and may not provide direct treatment or diagnostic benefits to all participants.
What this research studies
This project studies how misfolded proteins trigger harmful processes in brain cells and how the unfolded protein response helps or hurts that progression. By examining genetic variants in the UPR pathway, especially EIF2AK3 and PERK signaling, the team aims to map how cells decide to survive or die under proteotoxic stress. The work uses cellular models to connect these molecular mechanisms to what happens in Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of guiding mechanism-based therapies. If successful, findings could translate into strategies to bolster the brain’s protein quality control to slow neurodegeneration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of how protein misfolding contributes to Alzheimer’s could lead to new therapies that slow or prevent disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that modulating the unfolded protein response can influence proteotoxicity in cellular models, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
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Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Jonathan — Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
- Study coordinator: Lin, Jonathan
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.