Project Grant R21AG104382

The National Institute on Aging awarded the University of Virginia $433,417 on September 1, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to investigate the role of hippocampal perineuronal net complexity in Alzheimer's disease-associated social memory dysfunction.

The research examines how disruptions in perineuronal nets—specialized extracellular matrix structures surrounding neurons in the hippocampal CA2 region—contribute to social memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease. The project focuses on glycosaminoglycan chains and their sulfation isomers (C4S and C6S), which are key structural components of perineuronal nets but are not fully captured by current labeling techniques. The work will employ advanced methods to characterize these sulfation patterns and their relationship to social memory impairment in disease models, building on prior findings that restoring perineuronal net structure improves social memory function.

The award is classified as a Project Grant, an assistance type supporting biomedical research directed toward understanding aging processes and age-related diseases. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028, with work performed in Charlottesville, Virginia.