R01AG074283

Antiviral Response Coupled with Transposon Derepression in Alzheimer's Disease and Aging - Project Summary/Abstract

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) significantly impacts aging populations worldwide. Inflammation, at cell and organismic levels, often accompanies the aging process; whereas in sporadic AD, neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as a major contributor. However, the molecular triggers for neuroinflammatory response and factors mediating and regulating the process remains enigmatic.

Antiviral defense mechanisms control nucleic acid-based parasites, most noticeably the invading viruses. Type I IFN (IFN) cytokines, a key component of antiviral innate immunity, is a product of signaling activation of mammalian nucleic acid innate immune sensors that detect viral genomes or their replication products. We recently reported that plaque-associated microglia innately reacted to nucleic acid-containing amyloid SS (ASS) plaques and promote chronic gliosis and synapse loss in various ASS models. While grossly upregulated in clinical AD, IFN pathway unexpectedly escalates with increased Braak staging, which implies an idiosyncratic IFN response in association with human tau pathology. We have since confirmed a prominent IFN pathway activation in different murine tauopathy models.

Genomic instability is a core hallmark of aging. Senescent cells dysregulate their epigenome and derepress transposable elements (TE or transposons), endogenous parasites widely distributed in the genome. Consequently, activation of L1 retrotransposable element triggers an antiviral innate immune response, resulting in IFN production. In parallel, we found that tau overexpression relaxed neuronal heterochromatin, which is correlated with elevated transcription of L1 and other TEs in tauopathy brains. Remarkably, IFN signaling is activated in aging brain and polymorphisms of several ISGs as a group impose as a risk factor for AD.

Based on these intriguing findings, we seek to investigate how antiviral immune response is coupled to derepressed transposon activity during AD pathogenesis in this proposal. Specifically, we plan to examine the involvement of L1 and retroelements in conjunction with the onset of neuroinflammation under tauopathy and aging conditions (Aim 1), identify the key signaling mediators facilitating tau-stimulated antiviral response in the brain (Aim 2), and elucidate epigenetic influence on transposon derepression and antiviral inflammation in tauopathy and brain aging (Aim 3).

University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Houston, Texas 770303870 United States

Single Zip Code

Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-19-070)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/30/26 to 05/31/26 and the total obligations have increased 379% from $661,306 to $3,168,710.