Using AI to find hidden metabolic pathways that affect diseases
Official title: Democratizing Multi-Omics to Expedite Discovery of Hidden Metabolic Pathways
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11414811 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds AI tools to link proteins and small molecules so researchers can uncover metabolic pathways that matter for cancers, diabetes, and other diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | March 28, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $417,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM142502-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11414811 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer or diabetes who are willing to donate blood, tissue, or clinical data to multi-omic research would be the most relevant candidates to contribute to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without metabolic or cancer-related conditions, or those unwilling to provide samples or data, are unlikely to see direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine protein and metabolite data from the same samples and feed those multi-omic datasets into artificial intelligence models that learn connections between molecules and proteins. The goal is to reduce the need for time-consuming expert interpretation so more labs can use these approaches. The team will validate that the AI can recover known links and discover new ones, using existing data and experimental follow-up. Over time the tools are meant to be easier to use so discoveries spread beyond specialist groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed up discovery of disease-related metabolic pathways and point to new drug targets or diagnostic tests for cancers, diabetes, and other conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data and other published work show AI plus multi-omics can reveal known and novel metabolite-protein links, but the approach is still emerging and not yet broadly applied in clinical care.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meyer, Jesse — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Meyer, Jesse
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Lipid signals that control acetyl-CoA and fat metabolism in NAFLD
A study exploring how membrane lipids influence acetyl-CoA metabolism to understand and potentially treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
-
Them1’s role in fat metabolism and MASLD progression
Aims to understand how a fat-regulating protein (Them1) affects energy use in fat and liver, and how this could contribute to MASLD in people who are overweight.
-
Biomarker-guided Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplant Patients
A multicenter study in kidney transplant recipients is testing whether a biomarker score from HLA-DR/DQ can guide changes in immunosuppression to reduce rejection risk and drug toxicity.
-
Alpha5 integrin's role in ALS: how a cell switch worsens disease
Aims to understand how a specific protein called alpha5 integrin in immune cells affects ALS progression and whether blocking it can help extend life.
-
Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and Alzheimer's disease progression
This project looks at whether a common lung infection, Chlamydia pneumoniae, might influence Alzheimer's disease in people and what that could mean for treatment.
-
Them1 Inhibitors to Help Treat Fatty Liver Disease
Aims to develop and test small molecule drugs that block Them1 to help people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
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.