Tools to uncover how genes and aging lead to Alzheimer's
Combinatorial Perturbation with Multi-Omics Readout to Dissect Etiology of Alzheimer's Disease Using Stem Cell and In Vivo Models
Researchers are building new gene-editing and protein-tagging tools to uncover how combinations of risk genes and aging cause Alzheimer's disease in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11302665 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team will make precise tools (Combo-Seq) to install multiple Alzheimer's risk gene changes at once in human stem cells and mice and a tagging system (Combo-Tag) to track many proteins at the same time. They will collect multi-omics data (RNA, protein, and other molecular readouts) to see how those genetic combinations change brain-cell behavior. The project also creates a mouse line compatible with a common Alzheimer's model (5xFAD) to study effects in living brain tissue. Overall, the work aims to map how gene interactions and aging drive late-onset Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future related efforts would be older adults with late-onset Alzheimer's disease who might donate samples or participate in follow-up translational studies, although this grant is primarily lab-based.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatments, caregivers looking for current clinical options, or individuals without Alzheimer's are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new biological targets for diagnosing or treating late-onset Alzheimer's, guiding future therapies for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Related gene-editing and multi-omics methods have delivered important insights in other conditions, but the specific Combo-Seq/Tag multiplex approach is novel and not yet proven in Alzheimer's.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cong, Le — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Cong, Le
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.