The National Institute on Aging (NIA), under the federal Aging Research grant program (CFDA 93.866), awarded a $1,703,626 Project Grant to the University of North Dakota (UND) Division of Research & Economic Development. The grant, effective September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2026, will fund research to investigate the potential link between lung dysfunction and the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Key objectives include:
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Characterizing the temporal changes in AD-related lung dysfunction and determining if lung epithelial amyloid precursor protein (APP) or amyloid-beta (Aβ) is responsible for this lung pathology.
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Using a genetic approach to assess if attenuating APP expression or Aβ production specifically in the lung can mitigate an asthma phenotype and the ability of asthma to exacerbate brain changes in AD mouse models.
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Evaluating if pharmacological inhibition of Aβ production in AD mice can ameliorate an asthma phenotype and attenuate the exacerbation of AD.
The outcomes of this research are expected to provide new insights into the bi-directional lung-brain axis in asthma and AD, potentially leading to novel therapeutic approaches for targeting AD by addressing peripheral lung dysfunction.
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