# Core C: Animals

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $241,514

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
At present, there is no treatment that prevents or even slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD),
which is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. The Animal Core (Core C) will provide normal and
genetically modified mice or rats and will conduct the experiments described in Projects 1, 2, and 3. Rodent
models that express human proteins involved in neurodegenerative disease proved key in the discovery of
misfolded forms of normal proteins, called prions, as new principles of disease. AD involves two prions, tau
and Abeta. Cellular assays allow measurement of human tau and Abeta prions in culture, but transfer of
disease from humans to mice will provide essential validation. Inoculation of brain homogenates into specific
regions of the rodent brain and subsequent diagnosis of disease requires exceptionally skilled animal
technicians who also assess disease onset by evaluating clinical signs and by bioluminescence as a marker of
disease-induced gliosis in transgenic models specifically bred for this purpose (Projects 1 and 2). The stability
of tau and Abeta prion strains or conformations also will be tested by repeated passage in mice (Project 2).
Exceptionally high resolution structures (Project 3) can be determined by cryo-electron microscopy using
material provided by Core C. The experiments executed in Core C ultimately will provide models to test
therapies that halt disease progression.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10816441
- **Project number:** 5P01AG002132-43
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** George A. Carlson
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $241,514
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-04-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10816441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10816441, Core C: Animals (5P01AG002132-43). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10816441. Licensed CC0.

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