Understanding Protein Changes in Alzheimer's and Cancers at a Cellular Level
Integrative Approaches to Study Cell-Type-Specific Protein Dysregulation in Human Diseases
This work aims to create new computer tools to better understand how proteins change in different cell types within diseases like Alzheimer's and various cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169910 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Complex diseases like Alzheimer's and cancers involve many different types of cells working together in unusual ways. While we can already look at RNA changes in individual cells, it's much harder to see what's happening with proteins, which are key for how cells function and respond to medicines. Our goal is to develop advanced computational methods to analyze protein changes in specific cell types, using powerful techniques like mass spectrometry and next-generation sequencing. This will help us get a clearer picture of the disease at a very detailed level, which is currently a big challenge.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work could eventually benefit patients with Alzheimer's disease and various cancers by providing better insights into their conditions.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical intervention would not directly benefit from this early-stage computational methodology development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a deeper understanding of Alzheimer's disease and cancers, potentially identifying new targets for treatments and improving how we develop future therapies.
How similar studies have performed: While previous work has shown the value of combining protein and genetic data, this project focuses on developing novel computational methods to specifically address protein changes in individual cell types, which is an unmet need.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Chen — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Huang, Chen
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.