We are using a unique transgenic rat model of Alzheimer's disease to investigate a number of questions:
- Is traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) an environmental risk factor for AD? If so, what component(s) in TRAP increase risk for AD phenotypes and how? (Collaborators: Tony Wexler, Keith Bein, Jill Silverman, Laura Van Winkle, Fred Gorin)
- What is the influence of diet on the rate of onset or symptom severity of AD? (Collaborators: Ameer Taha and Jon Ramsey)
- What is the role of senescent endothelial cells and neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of AD? (Collaborators: Anne Knowlton, Angie Gelli, Fred Gorin)
- Are PET tracers that label synapses or neuroinflammation more predictive of early stages of AD than PET tracers for amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles? (Collaborator: Abhijit Chaudhari)
Current funding:
Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exacerbates AD-Relevant Phenotypes in a Genetically Susceptible Rat Model via Neuroinflammatory Mechanism(s)
RF1 AG074709 Lein (Contact) Bein and Van Winkle (MPI) 05/01/2021-04/30/2024
The main objective of the project is to test the hypothesis that TRAP decreases the time to onset and/or increases severity of Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes in genetically susceptible individuals via microglial cell activation secondary to lung inflammation.
Vascular Inflammation and Exosomes as Mediators in Aging and Dementia
NIH/NIA R01 AG056710 (Knowlton/Lein/Gelli) 03/15/18 - 02/28/23
The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that senescent endothelial cells, which accumulate with aging, create a pro-inflammatory environment that adversely affects the blood brain barrier (BBB) and contribute to neuropathology implicated in age-associated dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.