# Immunotherapy for Synucleinopathies: Can Gut Microbiota Affect Efficacy?

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2023 · $419,375

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are pathologically characterized by the presence of
Lewy bodies, composed of misfolded alpha synuclein (α-syn) inclusions. These disorders are progressive, and
result from the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in multiple motor and non-motor basal ganglia circuits.
While the current gold standard treatment for PD is dopamine replacement therapy, it only addresses motor
symptoms, and over time results in motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. Hence there is an unmet need for
delivering viable treatments after inexorable disease onset in syncleinopathies such as LBD and PD. In this
proposal, we will target α-syn deposition and neuronal death via a unique, immunomodulatory approach in an
animal model at two different time points after initiation of pathology in Aim 1, and assess immune markers
involved in ACT in Aim 2. There is evidence suggesting that microbial dysbiosis can influence host immune
function and that gut microbiota could play a role in immunotherapy efficacy in several cancers. This demonstrates
the existence of a crosstalk between host immunity and microbiota. Hence, we will also assess if there is an impact
of ACT on gut microbiota after pathology has initiated, and whether microbiota play a role in efficacy of our
immunotherapy in Aim 3. Ultimately, findings from this innovative and novel study will pave the way for applying
immunomodulatory therapies in Lewy body dementias and other synucleinopathies and delivering commensal
microbiota as therapeutic adjuvants.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10666872
- **Project number:** 1R21NS126889-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** VOLKER MAI
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $419,375
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-06-15 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10666872

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10666872, Immunotherapy for Synucleinopathies: Can Gut Microbiota Affect Efficacy? (1R21NS126889-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10666872. Licensed CC0.

---

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