# CORE A: Administrative Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $165,041

## Abstract

PROJECT/CORE: Administrative Core A
Project/Core Leader Name: John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD
Project Summary/Abstract
 Core A is the Administrative Core of this re-submitted application for a U19 “Center On Alpha-synuclein
Strains In Alzheimer Disease & Related Dementias” at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Perelman
School of Medicine (PSOM). It facilitates accomplishing the goals of this multidisciplinary research program to
elucidate mechanisms of progressive neurodegeneration mediated by different strains of pathological alpha-
synuclein (aSyn) underlying cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias or
ADRD including Lewy body (LB) diseases (LBD) such as dementia with LBs (DLB) and Parkinson's disease
without (PD) or with dementia (PDD). Among ADRD, AD with abundant LB co-pathology is the most common
subtype of AD. Hence, AD with aSyn LB (AD+LB), PDD and DLB together represent the most common forms
of aging related dementias. Thus, the overall goals of this new Penn AD and LBD U19 Center are to elucidate
mechanisms of pathological aSyn mediated progressive neurodegeneration in AD+LB versus pure AD (AD-LB)
compared with LBD as a function of aging and the heterogeneous accumulations of aSyn, tau and Aβ
pathologies that influence different clinical manifestations of these disorders. We hypothesize that
accumulations of pathological aSyn lead to neuron dysfunction and death due to misfolding and transmission
of different strains of pathological aSyn to form LBs and LNs compared to those aSyn strains underlying
multiple system atrophy (MSA) characterized by glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCI) since the MSA aSyn strain
rarely induces comorbid AD pathology and dementia rarely occurs in MSA patients. Specifically, we pursue the
cross-Center shared goal to correlate deep phenotypic data from Projects III/IV directly with strain data
generated in Projects I/II in collaboration with the Cores to determine for the first time the correspondence of
clinicopathological phenotypes with the novel aSyn strains defined by our preliminary data summarized in each
Project (see also Fig. 1 and 2 in the “Overall Component”). To accomplish its goals, Core A will implement
the following Aims: oversee budgetary and fiscal aspects of this U19 Center and guide the progress of the
Cores and Projects; promote/foster interactions between Cores and Projects, as well as interactions of Penn
U19 investigators with scientists outside the Penn U19 Center at and beyond Penn; serve as an information
resource for the patient community and general public regarding LBD and MSA; facilitate the sharing of data,
reagents, and resources generated by the U19 Center with other researchers in partnership with the NIA; train
the next generation of AD/LBD investigators. In this manner, Core A plays a key role in the Penn U19 Center to
foster accomplishment of its mission.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10020330
- **Project number:** 5U19AG062418-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN Q. TROJANOWSKI
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $165,041
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10020330

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10020330, CORE A: Administrative Core (5U19AG062418-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10020330. Licensed CC0.

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