Air pollution and Alzheimer's disease: how wildfire smoke may change brain biology
Official title: Determining the Role of Air Pollution in Alzheimers Disease Mechanisms and Pathology
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11606635 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests whether inhaling wildfire smoke particles can directly affect brain processes linked to Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $531,356 |
| NIH project number | 1R56NS145312-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11606635 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation in this grant, as the work uses a mouse model to study disease mechanisms.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient involvement or treatment provided in this grant.
What this research studies
If PM from wildfires can reach the brain, this project will study how it changes amyloid beta metabolism and pathology in an Alzheimer’s mouse model. Researchers will aerosolize realistic wildfire particles and copper-containing aerosols to observe acute brain effects and long-term changes in Alzheimer’s-related pathways. They will also map the cellular pathways through which these particles influence disease processes, aiming to connect environmental exposure to brain changes seen in AD. The work could reveal mechanisms by which air pollution contributes to Alzheimer’s risk and progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding whether wildfire smoke can worsen Alzheimer’s biology could lead to public health actions to protect at-risk individuals.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical data in mouse models suggest environmental factors can influence amyloid processing, but this project tests real-world wildfire aerosols specifically.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chakrabarty, Rajan — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Chakrabarty, Rajan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.