Federal Grant Award Summary

Emory University received a $657,222 Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) awarded February 15, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. The grant supports research investigating the pathological mechanisms of amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein interactions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The project will deliver scientific findings through three primary research objectives: determining the molar abundance of proteins co-accumulating with Aβ in AD and amyloid-depositing mouse model brains while assessing correlations with changes in protein solubility; investigating protein-protein interactions driving co-accumulation with amyloid deposits, with particular focus on Aβ, amyloid, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans; and testing whether extracellular accumulation of co-aggregating proteins in the absence of amyloid induces downstream pathophysiologic changes comparable to those observed in AD.

The research tests the novel Amyloid Scaffold Hypothesis (ASH), which posits that amyloid-dependent protein accumulation, rather than amyloid itself acting as a direct toxin, represents a critical mechanism driving AD pathophysiology. The deliverables include comprehensive proteomic analyses, experimental data on protein interactions and solubility changes, and mechanistic insights applicable to Alzheimer's disease and potentially other human amyloidoses. This project contributes to the NIA's mission of supporting biomedical research directed toward understanding aging processes and developing strategies for preventing and treating age-related diseases, particularly neurodegenerative conditions.