# Brain aging and Alzheimer's related dementias:  convergence onto retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses

> **NIH NIH RF1** · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · 2022 · $1,797,870

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
This proposal investigates the mechanisms by which aging impacts the risks of
Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD). The central hypothesis of this proposal is
that age and neurodegenerative protein pathology synergize to activate
retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses. The proposed work will test the idea
that age impacts the risk of ADRD onset, and that retrotransposons impact the rate of
decline. These mobile elements cause DNA damage, leading to non-cell autonomous
toxicity of glia to nearby neurons. The proposed work will systematically vary
aging/longevity in the context of models of ADRD, and test the impacts as measured by
the toxicity of retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses. Direct readouts of the
health and lifespan of the animals will be correlated with retrotransposon expression and
replication, and functional manipulations will be used as well.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10416198
- **Project number:** 1RF1AG076493-01
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
- **Principal Investigator:** JOSHUA T DUBNAU
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,797,870
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10416198

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10416198, Brain aging and Alzheimer's related dementias:  convergence onto retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses (1RF1AG076493-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10416198. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*