# Virus-like intercellular communication in the nervous system

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2021 · $1,063,238

## Abstract

Abstract
Recent studies by our group have revealed that the neuronal gene Arc, a master regulator of
synaptic plasticity and information storage in the brain, acts as a repurposed retroviral Gag protein
that forms capsids with the capacity to transmit genetic information between cells. These findings
lead to a paradigm shift in the way we view both mechanisms of cognition and more generally
how cells can signal to each other. This transformative R01 application will address these
questions using a synergistic team of neuroscientists and virologists who will apply their expertise
to Arc, intercellular gene transmission, and neuronal development. We will determine what
genetic messages are transferred between neurons in Arc particles, how these particles enter
“target” neurons to deliver their RNA cargo to cell cytoplasm, and how delivery of this cargo
influences the neuronal and synaptic processes that underlie memory and cognition. The
methodologies to address these questions, as well as the potential impact of the answers, make
this application ideally suited to the transformative R01 mechanism.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10159989
- **Project number:** 5R01NS115716-03
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Edward M. Campbell
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,063,238
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10159989

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10159989, Virus-like intercellular communication in the nervous system (5R01NS115716-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10159989. Licensed CC0.

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