Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston received a $421,225 Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) awarded July 1, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. This award funds research utilizing Drosophila vitellogenic oocytes as an in vivo model to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 (LRP1). The research addresses the critical gap in understanding how lipid metabolism dysfunction contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, specifically investigating how LRP1 regulates amyloid-beta production and clearance while interacting with apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), the primary genetic risk factor for late-onset AD.

The grant supports fundamental research on endolysosomal trafficking mechanisms—specifically how LRP1 is internalized, sorted, and trafficked following ligand binding. By leveraging Drosophila as a model organism to circumvent limitations of mammalian cell systems and high gene redundancy complications, the research aims to generate mechanistic insights into lipid transport protein regulation that could inform therapeutic strategies for AD treatment. This work aligns with NIA's mission to support biomedical research directed toward understanding aging processes and preventing or treating Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.