TET enzymes and mobile DNA activity in aging
Official title: Dysregulation of TET dioxygenase function as a source of aberrant transposable element expression during human aging
Funded at La Jolla Institute for Immunology · NIH-11301863 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing whether loss of TET enzyme function lets mobile DNA elements become active and trigger inflammation in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | La Jolla Institute for Immunology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | March 20, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $658,800 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI180152-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11301863 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be older adults (for example age 65 and older) or people willing to donate blood or tissue samples for studies of aging-related DNA changes.
✕Less likely to help
People without age-related inflammation or those unable or unwilling to provide samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
Researchers are looking at how TET proteins, which help control DNA methylation, may fail with age and allow normally silent transposable elements (mobile DNA) to turn on. They will examine cells from older people and laboratory models to measure DNA methylation, transposable element expression, DNA damage, and inflammatory signals. The team will use molecular techniques like sequencing and epigenetic mapping and manipulate TET activity in cells to trace cause-and-effect. The goal is to connect specific molecular changes to inflammation seen in aging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to molecular targets to reduce age-related inflammation and DNA damage, which might help prevent or lessen some aging-related health problems.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in mice and cultured human cells has shown transposable elements can activate with age and promote inflammation, but applying this specifically to human TET enzyme dysfunction is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
La Jolla Institute for Immunology
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rao, Anjana — La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Study coordinator: Rao, Anjana
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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.