Tau, enzymes, and Alzheimer’s disease: how tau phosphorylation is controlled
Official title: The molecular intersection of tau, phosphatases and Alzheimer's disease
Funded at University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt · NIH-11447025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly look at a study trying to understand why tau builds up in Alzheimer’s and how brain enzymes that add or remove phosphate groups might influence disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Farmington, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $459,322 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG098926-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease dementia or related tauopathies may benefit from future diagnostic or therapeutic advances arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without Alzheimer’s disease or tau-related conditions may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how tau, a protein in brain cells, becomes abnormally modified as people age and how this relates to Alzheimer’s disease. Using advanced techniques, researchers will map how tau interacts with phosphatases (enzymes that remove phosphate groups) and identify specific sites of tau phosphorylation. The goal is to learn what goes wrong in the brain to cause tau to clump together and drive neurodegeneration. Findings could point toward new ways to prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s by targeting these molecular interactions. The work is led by experts at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and involves cutting-edge methods like NMR and cryo-EM to visualize tau in action.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could uncover new targets to slow or prevent tau-related damage in Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that tau phosphorylation is linked to disease progression; this project aims to uncover the specific PPP-tau interactions that could be targeted.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
Farmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Page, Rebecca — University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
- Study coordinator: Page, Rebecca
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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.