Why Alzheimer's Disease Affects Men and Women Differently
Microglial Activation and Inflammatory Endophenotypes Underlying Sex Differences of Alzheimer’s Disease
This research explores why Alzheimer's disease affects men and women differently by looking at how immune cells and inflammation play a role.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11088249 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Alzheimer's disease shows differences in how it affects men and women, but we don't fully understand why. This project aims to uncover these reasons by focusing on specific immune cells in the brain, called microglia, and how inflammation in the body contributes. Researchers are using advanced genetic tools to look at individual cells from patient brains and blood to find unique patterns in men and women. By understanding these sex-specific immune responses, we hope to develop more targeted treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research uses existing patient samples and data, so direct patient recruitment for this specific grant is unlikely, but future studies based on this work would target individuals with Alzheimer's disease or those at risk.
Not a fit: Patients who do not have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new, sex-specific treatments for Alzheimer's disease that are more effective for individual patients.
How similar studies have performed: While sex differences in Alzheimer's are known, this specific approach using multimodal single-cell genomic and epigenomic analyses to link microglial activation and systemic inflammation in a sex-specific manner is a novel and cutting-edge area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Feixiong — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Feixiong
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.