Serotonin and cell energy in depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer's
Official title: Serotonin modulated mitochondrial dysfunction in Depression Diabetes and Dementia (3Ds)
Funded at Texas Tech University · NIH-11011500 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether fixing serotonin-linked cell energy problems can help people with depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Tech University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lubbock, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $533,727 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071560-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11011500 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Alzheimer's disease, adults with type 2 diabetes, or people experiencing major depression—especially those with combinations of these conditions—would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without dementia, diabetes, or depressive disorders, or whose conditions arise from unrelated causes, would be unlikely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the brain chemical serotonin affects mitochondria, the tiny energy factories inside cells, in people with diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers will map how low serotonin might disrupt mitochondrial creation, shape, and cleanup (mitophagy/autophagy) using laboratory experiments tied to disease models and molecular studies. They will test whether drugs that raise serotonin, like the SSRI citalopram, can reverse these mitochondrial defects in experimental systems connected to human disease. The goal is to link these molecular findings to how diabetes and depression increase dementia risk and inform possible new treatment approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatments that protect brain and metabolic health by restoring healthy mitochondrial function linked to serotonin signaling.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical lab and animal studies suggest SSRIs and serotonin pathways can affect mitochondrial function, but clear benefits in people remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hegde, Vijay Karkal — Texas Tech University
- Study coordinator: Hegde, Vijay Karkal
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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.