How small blood vessel problems may cause Alzheimer’s proteins to build up in the brain’s memory area
Understanding the mechanistic link between vascular dysfunction and Alzheimers disease-related protein accumulation in the medial temporal lobe
This project checks whether damage to tiny blood vessels leads to Alzheimer’s proteins accumulating in the memory-related medial temporal lobe of people at risk for dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11379279 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will focus on the medial temporal lobe, a key memory area where multiple Alzheimer-related pathologies often appear early. They will study how cerebral small vessel disease (including cerebral amyloid angiopathy and arteriolosclerosis) affects waste clearance around blood vessels and whether leakage of the blood-brain barrier promotes protein buildup. The team will use detailed tissue-based and 3-D approaches alongside experimental models to trace how vascular changes and Alzheimer proteins interact. The goal is to identify the biological steps linking vascular dysfunction to the protein changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for related participation would include older adults with cerebral small vessel disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease who might take part in tissue donation or observational efforts.
Not a fit: People with very advanced, end-stage dementia or whose cognitive decline is clearly due to non-vascular causes may be less likely to see direct benefit in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or slow Alzheimer’s by treating vascular problems or improving the brain’s clearance of toxic proteins.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown links between vascular damage and Alzheimer-related protein accumulation, but the precise mechanisms remain unclear so this work builds on promising but not yet definitive findings.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perosa, Valentina — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Perosa, Valentina
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 below.