How insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome may damage the brain
Official title: Neuropathology and inflammation in a nonhuman primate model of insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome
Funded at University of California at Davis · NIH-11237585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using a primate model to study how insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome can cause brain inflammation and Alzheimer-like changes in adults with type 2 diabetes risk factors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,271,447 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG085572-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes who are concerned about their dementia risk would be the most relevant group for follow-up studies or future clinical trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without metabolic risk factors or whose cognitive problems stem from non‑Alzheimer causes are less likely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
From a patient viewpoint, this project follows nonhuman primates fed a high‑sugar diet for about a year to mimic insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and early type 2 diabetes. Scientists will combine brain imaging (MRI and PET), behavior tracking, and detailed analyses of brain and blood tissue to look for inflammation, synaptic changes, mitochondrial and vascular problems, and Alzheimer‑related pathology. The team will focus on memory-related brain regions like the hippocampus and default mode network and link those findings to metabolic and inflammatory markers. Results aim to clarify how metabolic disease raises dementia risk and how dementia processes might worsen metabolism.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify biological links between diabetes and Alzheimer’s that point to ways to prevent or treat dementia in people with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Epidemiological and rodent studies support a link between metabolic disease and Alzheimer’s, but using nonhuman primates provides a more translatable and relatively novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California at Davis
Davis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Havel, Peter J — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Havel, Peter J
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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.