Small molecules to help scientists target Alzheimer's proteins
TREAT AD Medicinal Chemistry Core
Creating and sharing starter drug-like compounds that stick to Alzheimer's-linked proteins to help lead to future treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196716 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project makes and tests small chemical compounds that bind proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease so researchers can learn what those proteins do. A dedicated medicinal chemistry core at Emory and partner labs will use purified proteins, biochemical assays, DNA-encoded library screening, and machine learning to find promising chemical "hits." The team aims to turn hits into open chemical probes that scientists can use to study poorly understood Alzheimer’s targets and to share these tools publicly. Work is lab-based and focused on producing starting points for drug development rather than testing medicines in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment who want to support research or potentially donate samples to research teams could be connected to related studies in the future.
Not a fit: Patients seeking an immediate new treatment are unlikely to benefit directly, since this work focuses on lab discovery and tool-building rather than patient therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed discovery of new drug targets and treatments for people with Alzheimer's by giving scientists better tools to study disease proteins.
How similar studies have performed: Chemical probe programs from the Structural Genomics Consortium and other medicinal chemistry efforts have produced useful research tools before, but combining open DNA-encoded library screening with machine learning for Alzheimer’s targets is a newer, innovative approach.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levey, Allan I — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Levey, Allan I
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.