Disease Mechanisms: Common mechanisms (Milestone 2.H)
In Progress
Timeline Start - End
2018 - 2024Research Implementation Area
Research on Disease MechanismsContinue to support cross-disciplinary research to discover and understand disease mechanisms that are common between AD and other neurodegenerative disorders including rare disorders and leverage these for therapy development. These efforts should include discovering new pathways leading to synaptic and neural damage understanding the structural variations of pathogenic peptides collected from well-phenotyped, diverse cohorts to inform the design of structure-specific imaging agents and inhibitors with therapeutic potential.
Success Criteria
- Identify and preclinically validate at least three novel therapeutic targets that are common to AD and at least two other neurodegenerative disorders.
- Launch a minimum of three drug discovery projects targeting pathways common across AD at least two other neurodegenerative disorders.
Summary of Key Accomplishments
NIA supports research aimed at understanding disease mechanisms that are common between AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. This is achieved through one targeted funding initiative, other broad funding initiatives, and via investigator-initiated research. Six projects have been supported through the targeted funding initiative Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases. Collectively, these projects investigate the shared mechanisms among AD, Parkinson’s, Lewy body dementia and Huntington’s disease. The insights from this program have the potential to identify novel shared targets for multiple disorders.
The key accomplishments summary is current as of March 2022.
Accomplishments/Implementation Activities
Funding Initiatives
- PAS-17-028: Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases (R01)
- PAR-18-596: Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01)
- NOT-AG-18-001 (#3): in vivo Synaptic Function in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
- RFA-AA-18-007: NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research: Dynamic Neuroimmune Interactions in the Transition from Normal CNS Function to Disorders (R01)
- RFA-AG-18-023: Pathogenesis of Age-related HIV Neurodegeneration (R01)
- RFA-AG-18-025: Consequences of amyloid protein polymorphisms in Alzheimer's disease (R01)
- PAR-15-357: Understanding Alzheimer's Disease in the Context of the Aging Brain (R01)-2 funded grants
- PAR-15-358 : Capturing Complexity in the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Involved in the Etiology of Alzheimer’s Disease (R01)
- PAR-19-070: Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- PAR-19-071: Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-AG-20-028: Implementation Research on Hypertension Control to Prevent Dementia and Cognitive Decline (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
- RFA-AG-21-006: Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project Functional Genomics Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- RFA-AG-22-030: Resource Networks for Protein Polymorphisms in Alzheimer’s Disease and its Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Research Programs and Resources
- NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research
- Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases (R01)
Research Highlights
- Workshop: Disruptive Approaches to Understand the Initiation and Transmission of Misfolded Proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease
- Workshop: HIV and Aging Related Neurodegeneration, November 9-10, 2020, virtual