NIH-funded research R21 grant

Systematic PTM Knowledge Extraction in Alzheimer's Disease

Official title: Systematic PTM Knowledge Extraction and Evidence Quality Assessment in Alzheimer's Disease Research

Funded at University of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr · NIH-11442757 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A research project will automatically pull out important protein modification details from scientific papers to better understand Alzheimer’s disease in people.

More s Disease research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Albuquerque, United States)
Project startSeptember 10, 2026
Project endAugust 31, 2028
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$398,050
NIH project number1R21AG104819-01
Project IDNIH-11442757 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates are individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or at-risk individuals whose disease biology could be better understood by future-targeted therapies.

Less likely to help

Patients without access to advanced proteomics or research participation may not directly benefit from this project.

What this research studies

This project uses computer tools to read a large number of full-text papers about Alzheimer’s disease and extract how post-translational modifications relate to disease mechanisms. It will build a knowledge graph that links brain regions, disease stages, and experimental models to specific modification events like phosphorylation and acetylation. It also introduces PTMQual, a quality framework that helps scientists judge which PTM findings are most reliable. The aim is to speed up discovery of robust, mechanistic targets that could eventually guide therapies. The work integrates lessons from oncology text-mining to AD, adapting them to patient-relevant biology.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could accelerate discovery of reliable targets for disease-modifying therapies in Alzheimer’s disease.

How similar studies have gone: Automated text-mining systems in other fields have improved target discovery and data quality for disease mechanisms.

Where this research is happening

  • University of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr
    Albuquerque, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Malec, Scott Alexander — University of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr
  • Study coordinator: Malec, Scott Alexander

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.