Studying Brain Protein Turnover in Aging and Alzheimer’s with New Tagging Tools
Official title: Studying Neuronal Proteostasis During Aging and AD with Novel Protein Tagging Tools
Funded at Salk Institute for Biological Studies · NIH-11539275 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist at a major research center is testing a new method to track how brain proteins are built and cleared as people age and in Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of understanding why this process goes wrong.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 8, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,476 |
| NIH project number | 4R00AG088304-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539275 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation in this grant; the study is conducted in model systems and analyses of proteostasis.
✕Less likely to help
Direct participation by patients is not described in this grant.
What this research studies
This project uses a novel tagging system to label newly made brain proteins in living animals, then measures how quickly those proteins are turned over. The approach combines a specialized tagging method (BONCAT) with mass spectrometry to map protein turnover in neurons under aging and Alzheimer’s conditions. The work aims to connect turnover dynamics to neuron health, lysosome function, and microglia activity, potentially revealing new targets to preserve brain function. If successful, it could inform future therapies aimed at maintaining proteome balance in aging and AD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach succeeds, it could identify key processes to protect neuron health and guide development of therapies to slow or modify Alzheimer’s progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tools have shown that proteostasis is linked to aging and neurodegeneration, but this exact BONCAT-based turnover mapping is a newer approach with promising potential.
Where this research is happening
-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guldner, Ian Hunter — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Guldner, Ian Hunter
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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.