# The Relationship between Inflammation and Cognition in a Monkey Model of Human Aging

> **NIH NIH P51** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $338,773

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This application is for a supplement to the P51 Primate Research Center Grant that supports the
Washington National Primate Research Center. This supplement will be used to conduct a 1-year
pilot study towards establishing a new research program to characterize the association between
inflammation and age-related changes in cognitive performance and oral health in monkeys
(rhesus macaques). Monkeys provide a strong model for advancing our understanding of the
neurobiology of human memory and executive function due to robust cross-species similarities in
the anatomy and connectivity of the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex. Accumulating
evidence has suggested an association between cognitive impairment and systemic immune
activation. Elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been shown to be related
to cognitive impairment, and this inflammation-cognition association has been demonstrated in
otherwise healthy older individuals. Along with inflammation-cognition, inflammation-oral health
association is also demonstrated in older individuals in the form of periodontal disease (PD), a
chronic inflammatory oral disease affecting nearly 70% of U.S. adults over the age of 65 which
leads to a dysbiotic oral microbiome, destruction of the gingival epithelium and periodontal bone
with ultimately tooth loss. PD is also a major risk factor for several other age-related disorders,
including heart disease and diabetes, and patients with chronic periodontal disease have a higher
risk of developing dementia. We recently discovered that the specific mTOR inhibitor rapamycin
caused a revertive shift of the old oral microbiome to be more similar to the young oral microbiome
in mice, attenuated gingival and periodontal tissue inflammation, and reversed periodontal bone
loss in old animals. Thus, the overarching goals of this proposal are to (1) determine whether
elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with cognitive decline, (2) establish
the aged rhesus monkey as a model for naturally occurring periodontal disease, and (3) analyze
the direct impact of mTOR inhibition on age-related oral and cognitive decline.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10121323
- **Project number:** 3P51OD010425-59S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** SEAN D SULLIVAN
- **Activity code:** P51 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $338,773
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 1997-06-10 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10121323

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10121323, The Relationship between Inflammation and Cognition in a Monkey Model of Human Aging (3P51OD010425-59S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10121323. Licensed CC0.

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