Serotonin 2C receptor's role in Alzheimer’s symptoms
Official title: 5-HT 2C Receptor and Alzheimer's Disease
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11402425 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is seeing whether changes in a brain serotonin receptor (5-HT2C) contribute to memory loss, social withdrawal, and aggression in people with Alzheimer’s and whether fixing that receptor could point to new treatments for them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $547,205 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AG080392-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402425 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with Alzheimer’s disease—especially those who experience aggression, social withdrawal, or related neuropsychiatric symptoms, and who might participate in genetic testing or future clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without behavioral or social symptoms, or whose Alzheimer’s does not involve serotonin-related changes, may be less likely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Researchers found rare changes in the HTR2C gene, which makes the 5-HT2C serotonin receptor, in people with cognitive and social problems and created a mouse that carries one of those changes. The team studies how that receptor change leads to memory problems, reduced sociability, and increased aggression in the mouse model. They will test drugs that act on the 5-HT2C receptor to see if behavior and memory improve and investigate the biological steps linking receptor loss to symptoms. Findings are intended to guide whether targeting this serotonin pathway could help people with Alzheimer’s who have similar brain changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new medicines or approaches to reduce aggression, improve social interaction, and help memory in people with Alzheimer’s.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links serotonin loss to behavioral symptoms and some serotonin-targeting drugs have helped related symptoms in other conditions, but directly targeting 5-HT2C in Alzheimer’s is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Yong — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Xu, Yong
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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.