# Biological signatures of blueberry-derived microbial metabolites (Supplement)

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2020 · $381,250

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a family of negatively charged linear polysaccharides, which have been found
in the cores of protein aggregates that are central pathological features in several neurodegenerative diseases
including Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Furthermore, GAGs are shown to be critical in the aggregation,
internalization and propagation of pathogenic aggregates. Neurotoxic protein aggregates are mostly comprised
of phosphorylated tau proteins that are resistant to proteolytic cleavage and are found in all AD patients. Recent
studies have shown that blueberry metabolites possess beneficial neuroprotective effects in animal models and
in limited clinical studies. Our own lab has recently found that blueberry metabolites can restore endothelial
heparan sulfate (HS), one type of GAG, and ameliorates endothelial inflammation in diabetic endothelial cells.
Taken together the role of blueberry metabolites in the regulation of HS fine structures and their beneficial
neuroprotective effects, we hypothesize that blueberry metabolites exert their beneficial effects through
regulation of HS biosynthesis in the brain by regulating HS structures in the brain microvascular endothelial cells
and neuronal cells. In this supplemental request, we propose to systematically study the role of blueberry diet
and blueberry metabolites in the reversal of neurotoxic effects of tau aggregates in cellular and primary neuronal
cultures through regulation of HS fine structures with the final goal of developing a therapeutic approach for AD
prevention and management.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10123571
- **Project number:** 3R01AT010247-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Anandh Babu Pon Velayutham
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $381,250
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-21 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10123571

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10123571, Biological signatures of blueberry-derived microbial metabolites (Supplement) (3R01AT010247-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10123571. Licensed CC0.

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