Neuronal activity modulation and age-related neurodegeneration

Key facts

Disease
COVID-19
Start & end year
2020
2022
Known Financial Commitments (USD)
$250,383
Funder
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Principal Investigator
Hod Michael Dana
Research Location
United States of America
Lead Research Institution
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Research Priority Alignment
N/A

Research Category
Clinical characterisation and management
Research Subcategory
Prognostic factors for disease severity
Special Interest Tags
N/A
Study Type
Non-Clinical
Clinical Trial Details
N/A
Broad Policy Alignment
Pending
Age Group
Not Applicable
Vulnerable Population
Not applicable
Occupations of Interest
Not applicable

Abstract of proposed studies under the Administrative Supplement in response to NOT-AG-20-022Age is a significant risk factor in the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and this risk might be moreprofound in middle-aged people with age-related cognitive decline, neurodegeneration andAlzheimer's disease. While working directly with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is valuable, it requiresworking in an ABSL-3 level facility and substantially restricts potential behavioral and cognitivestudies, brain imaging experiments, and postmortem studies with non-perfused tissues. SARS-CoV-2 recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) offer an attractive way to study the pathogenesisof SARS-CoV-2 in animals, without the involvement of replicating viruses. In this study, we exposewild-type and human tau mice to SARS-CoV-2 VLPs to study the effects on cognitiveperformance, brain activity, markers of inflammation, and the effect of sex on the expecteddegeneration. This study will provide the first data on potential central nervous systemcomplications of Alzheimer's disease patients, as well as an age-matched population, which areexposed to SARS-CoV-2 VLPs, and will provide an experimental platform to test potentialtreatments.