# Mapping and Manipulating Cholingeric Basal Forebrain Activity in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $401,250

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting roughly 5.8 million people in the
United States. Primary pharmaceutical interventions for AD, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA
receptor antagonists, are capable of temporarily improving cognitive function, but no current treatments exist to
halt or reverse AD progression. Several histopathological hallmarks manifest in AD patients, including formation
of extracellular Aβ plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and accelerated degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic
neurons (BFCNs). This marked BFCN degeneration is believed to be a major underlying cause of the cognitive
deficits observed in human AD patients throughout disease progression. This supplemental application proposes
to utilize tools and information garnered through current research being conducted the parent award “Genetically
dissecting cholinergic signaling in body weight control” (R01DK109934), where we have selectively targeted
basal forebrain cholinergic neurons for genetic manipulations and biological analysis, to elucidate either their
involvement in AD. We will specifically investigate if BFCNs contribute to AD progression with their loss, or
provide potential neuroprotective avenues with activation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10285121
- **Project number:** 3R01DK109934-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Benjamin R Arenkiel
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $401,250
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10285121

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10285121, Mapping and Manipulating Cholingeric Basal Forebrain Activity in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease (3R01DK109934-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10285121. Licensed CC0.

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