# Roles of Tau Oligomers in Alzheimer's Vasculopathy

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2021 · $389,236

## Abstract

Extracellular oligomeric tau (o-tau) and vascular deposition of o-tau has been observed in brains of Alzheimer's
disease (AD) patients. In this project, we propose to examine how the direct interactions of o-tau with the
basolateral side of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) impact their function, including
oxidative stress, inflammation, adhesion molecule expression, membrane tether adhesion, and transendothelial
migration of monocytes through activations of NADPH oxidase, cytosolic phospholipase A2
and NFκB. As retina is a part of the brain, we also employ the non-invasive optical coherence tomography
(OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) (i.e. OCT/OCTA) to study microvascular characteristics and
neurodegeneration, as quantified by the ganglion layer thickness (GLT), and their relations to oligomeric
amyloid-β (oAβ), and o-tau contents in retinas of Tg AD mouse models for studying the influences of human tau
and amyloid pathology including APPswe/PSEN1dE9 and 3xTg AD mice. This project will fill the research gap
between extracellular o-tau and neurovascular abnormalities in AD by providing information regarding adhesion
mechanical responses to o-tau in HBMECs, and changes in retinal vessel network characteristics and GLT in
relations to Aβ and o-tau, and ultimately provide insights into therapeutic strategies for AD treatment by
regulating tau's effects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10263199
- **Project number:** 5R01AG044404-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES C LEE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $389,236
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-05-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10263199

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10263199, Roles of Tau Oligomers in Alzheimer's Vasculopathy (5R01AG044404-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10263199. Licensed CC0.

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