Proteins that protect movement and thinking in Alzheimer's
Official title: Identifying resilience proteins in key motor tissues that drive motor and cognitive decline and offset the negative effects of ADRD pathologies within and outside the brain
Funded at Rush University Medical Center · NIH-11249626 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for proteins in motor brain and nerve tissues that help older adults with Alzheimer's or related dementias keep moving and thinking better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rush University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,328,020 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG075728-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249626 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, particularly those enrolled in memory or brain-donation cohorts or willing to provide samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without Alzheimer’s-type brain pathology or whose mobility problems arise from non-neurological causes may not see direct benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze key motor regions of the brain and related tissues using deep omics (large-scale protein and gene analyses) to find proteins linked to slower movement and cognitive decline despite Alzheimer’s pathology. They will compare samples from adults who have similar Alzheimer’s pathology but very different rates of motor loss to pinpoint resilience proteins. The team will then test whether the same proteins that support motor resilience also support thinking and memory. This work builds on prior omics discoveries in cognitive brain regions and is carried out at Rush University.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could identify targets for new tests or treatments to help people with Alzheimer's keep movement and thinking abilities longer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous deep-omics work has revealed candidate resilience proteins in cognitive brain regions, but applying these methods to motor tissues is newer and less-tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Buchman, Aron S — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Buchman, Aron S
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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.