Septohippocampal network problems linking Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
Septhohippocamal connectome dysfunction in Down syndrome associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology
Researchers compare mouse models and human brain cells to understand why people with Down syndrome often develop Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11456928 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would hear that scientists are looking at the specific brain circuits that support memory and attention to learn why these circuits fail in Down syndrome as Alzheimer changes appear. They study a well-known trisomic mouse model (Ts65Dn) to map circuit and cellular problems in the septohippocampal and basocortical networks. The team also grows human neurons from donated skin cells and checks results against donated postmortem human brain tissue. Together these approaches focus on calcium signaling and mitochondrial function as likely causes of network breakdown.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Down syndrome (and families who can arrange skin-cell donation) or people with Alzheimer's disease who can donate tissue or cells would be most relevant to contribute samples.
Not a fit: People without Down syndrome or Alzheimer's are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific cell processes to target for therapies that slow or prevent Alzheimer's symptoms in people with Down syndrome.
How similar studies have performed: Related mouse-model and human cell studies have revealed Alzheimer-linked changes before, but turning those findings into effective treatments for Down syndrome has not yet been achieved.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ginsberg, Stephen D — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Ginsberg, Stephen D
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.