Understanding how choline affects cell health and disease
Official title: Deciphering the role of phospholipid homeostasis in physiology and disease
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11139569 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how choline, an important nutrient, helps keep our cells healthy and how it might affect different diseases, so that patients can learn more about how choline impacts their health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $90,000 |
| NIH project number | 5K99DK140517-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11139569 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults over 21 years old who may have conditions related to choline metabolism or cellular health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are under 21 years old or do not have any metabolic or cellular health issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of choline, a vital nutrient, in maintaining cell health and its implications for various diseases. By studying how choline is transported into cells and its effects on cellular processes like membrane formation and gene regulation, the research aims to uncover new insights into its importance for overall health. The team utilizes advanced techniques, including genome-wide association studies and CryoEM, to identify key transport proteins and their functions. Patients may benefit from a better understanding of how choline metabolism impacts their health and disease outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for improving cellular health and treating diseases linked to choline metabolism.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of choline in cellular processes, indicating that this approach has potential for significant findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kenny, Timothy Cole — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Kenny, Timothy Cole
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cells organize into organized tissues to form organs
Researchers are studying how human-like cells in a lab can self-organize within a scaffold to form orderly tissue patterns, which could illuminate how organs such as skin and bones develop.
-
Modeling Ataxia Telangiectasia in a human stem cell model of Purkinje cells
Researchers are creating a patient-derived, human cell model of Purkinje cells to understand why this brain disease causes cerebellar degeneration in people with Ataxia Telangiectasia.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Understanding how mycobacterial transcription works to guide better TB drugs
Researchers will study how the RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related bacteria start, pause, and finish copying genetic information, with the goal of informing new antibiotic strategies against TB.
-
How chromosomes stay true when cells divide in cancer research
Researchers are studying how chromosomes are accurately copied and distributed during cell division to understand and potentially prevent cancer.
-
Marmoset model of Huntington's disease shows how symptoms relate to brain and behavior
A researcher at a top university is studying how Huntington's disease affects brain signals and behavior in marmosets to better understand the human condition.
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.