Role of microglial lysosomes in amyloid degradation
Official title: Role of microglial lysosomes in amyloid-A-beta degradation
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11463463 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how microglia, the brain’s immune cells, may help break down amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease by a specialized digestion method.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $561,563 |
| NIH project number | 4R01AG078244-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11463463 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with Alzheimer’s disease or individuals at risk for AD who could benefit from therapies that modulate microglial activity and amyloid processing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-amyloid brain diseases or conditions unlikely to involve microglial digestion of amyloid may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how microglia form lysosomal contact sites to digest amyloid plaques, using cultured cells and mouse models. They will measure how amyloid is degraded over time in these lysosome-rich areas and test whether anti-Aβ antibodies boost this digestion. Advanced imaging will visualize digestive exophagy in the brain and in AD-model mice, and signaling pathways involved will be analyzed to understand how microglia coordinate this process. The goal is to learn if enhancing this microglial digestion could limit plaque growth and contribute to potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to boost microglial digestion of amyloid plaques, potentially slowing Alzheimer’s disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown microglia can form lysosomal synapses and degrade amyloid in models, supporting potential relevance to humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maxfield, Frederick R. — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Maxfield, Frederick R.
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.