Regulating HTT-linked DNA repair and chromatin helpers in Huntington’s disease
Official title: Regulation of HTT-mediated DNA damage repair and chromatin remodeling Complexes
Funded at University of Texas Med Br Galveston · NIH-11393171 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how Huntington’s disease-related changes affect DNA repair and chromatin remodeling in brain cells, to uncover why nerve cells struggle as the disease progresses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $666,180 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS130839-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393171 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Huntington’s disease or at-risk individuals could benefit from future therapies emerging from this research.
✕Less likely to help
No direct benefit to patients is expected from the research activities themselves during the grant period.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how the huntingtin protein and its mutant form influence DNA damage repair and chromatin changes in brain cells. The work builds on findings that normal HTT helps a repair complex with RNA polymerase II and other factors, while mutant HTT disrupts this process. By examining how SUMOylation and PTMs regulate these repair components, the study aims to identify factors that modulate disease onset and progression. The project uses cellular and animal models to connect molecular mechanisms with neuronal health in Huntington’s disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could lead to targets that slow neuron damage and delay symptom onset in Huntington’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked DNA repair and SUMOylation to neurodegeneration, and this work extends those insights with a focus on HTT and PNKP.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Med Br Galveston
Galveston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sarkar, Partha S — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Sarkar, Partha S
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.