# Protein Arginine Methyltransferases in Alzheimer's disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2024 · $764,689

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common and progressive genetic neurodegenerative disorders in
the US with more than 5 million people currently living with Alzheimer's disease with risk factors often associated
with age and sex. Women are more likely to develop a rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease, than men when
predictive factors such as obesity, lifespan, and enhanced stroke severity are considered. Protein arginine
methyltransferases are a prevalent posttranslational modification that can occur in both the nucleus and
cytoplasm and are thought to be involved in many disease processes. This emerging and difficult area of inquiry
has limited investigations into the neurovascular system, brain emergent networks, with only indirect applications
related to neurological diseases, where the functional role of protein arginine methyltransferases as they relate
to brain metabolism, circulation, functional learning and memory are understudied.
 We seek to investigate protein arginine methyltransferase 4 as an important age and sex(female)-related
brain regulatory element to delay neuronal senescence. We propose that protein arginine methyltransferase 4
is enhanced in aged 3xTg-AD female mice v. their young and male counterparts. This leads to the disruption of
neurovascular coupling, blood brain barrier integrity, and functional learning and memory. Our central hypothesis
is inhibition of protein arginine methyltransferase 4 can enhance neurovascular coupling, maintain blood-brain-
barrier integrity, and attenuate learning/memory deficits in aged 3xTg-AD female mice. We describe protein
arginine methyltransferase 4 modulation as a therapeutic potential against Alzheimer's disease and other
vascular cognitive impairment disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10806430
- **Project number:** 1R01AG081258-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Hung Wen (Kevin) Lin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $764,689
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10806430

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10806430, Protein Arginine Methyltransferases in Alzheimer's disease (1R01AG081258-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10806430. Licensed CC0.

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