Amygdala’s role in Lewy body disease and Alzheimer’s disease
Official title: The Amygdala as Gateway and Gatekeeper to Lewy Body Disease
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11371857 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinician-science training grant to help Dr. D. Luke Fischer study how the amygdala may drive the spread of disease in people with Lewy body disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $225,315 |
| NIH project number | 1K08NS144527-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371857 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease who may also have Lewy body pathology or are at risk of coexisting conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without amygdala involvement or without Lewy body pathology may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This mentored career development grant uses postmortem human brain tissue to understand why the amygdala becomes a key gateway for disease spread in people who have both Lewy body disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Over five years, the trainee will combine quantitative brain mapping and spatial omics to identify factors that make the amygdala vulnerable and permit alpha-synuclein to propagate. The goal is to lay the groundwork for targeted therapies that could slow or interrupt disease progression in patients with these intertwined conditions. The work directly translates to human biology and aims to inform future clinical strategies for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to therapies that slow or prevent brain spread of disease in people with overlapping Lewy body and Alzheimer’s pathology.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that amygdala involvement can influence disease spread, making this a promising but complex area worthy of further study.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fischer, David Luke — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Fischer, David Luke
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Gut-immune changes in Lewy Body Diseases and early signs
A study at Stanford will explore how the gut and its immune system may be linked to Lewy Body diseases like Parkinson’s and related conditions, with findings that could point to new ways to understand and someday treat these illnesses.
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Gut-immune system links in Lewy Body Disease
Researchers are studying how the gut and immune system may influence Lewy body diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies, aiming to uncover new clues that could lead to better diagnosis and treatment in the future.
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Gut immune changes in Lewy body disorders
This project looks at whether changes in gut immune signals and gut bacteria are linked to Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and people with early signs like REM sleep behavior disorder.
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Automated Neurodegeneration Index for Lewy Body Disease in At-Risk Groups
A new machine‑learning tool analyzes routine brain scans to identify early neurodegeneration in people at risk for Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies.
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Identifying molecules that interact with alpha-synuclein in Alzheimer's disease–related dementias
A study at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville will map which proteins interact with alpha-synuclein in brain tissue and human-derived cells to understand its role in dementia like Lewy body disease and Alzheimer’s-related dementias.
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Restoring the brain's cleanup cells to help in Lewy body disease
This project looks at whether removing and then regrowing the brain's immune cells can help clear harmful protein clumps that damage people with Lewy body disease.
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.