Modeling DNA Methylation Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease Using Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

2016, 2017

Alzheimer’s disease is associated with changes to DNA methylation, a modification of DNA that can alter the expression of genes in the brain. How DNA methylation changes contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, however, has been hard to determine. Our proposed work aims to study the causes of DNA methylation changes in Alzheimer’s disease and aims to better understand how these changes might affect Alzheimer’s disease patients. To do this, we are using a “disease-in-a-dish” approach of generating human neurons with the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease from human-induced pluripotent stem cells.


Funding to Date

$300,000

Focus

Studies of Alternative Neurodegenerative Pathways, Translational

Researchers

Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D.