# Developing blood-based exercise mimetic as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

> **NIH NIH R41** · CEIBA BIO INC. · 2024 · $509,038

## Abstract

Project Summary
Despite the growing number of adults that are living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) worldwide,
there still lacks disease modifying treatments. Physical activity and exercise mitigate AD risk and
boosts cognitive functions in patients, yet over a quarter of the elderly do not meet these activity
guidelines, often due to physical limitations and resource constraints. Current therapeutic
approaches focused on AD are restricted to targeting neuropathology within the central nervous
system. Thus, there is an imperative need to develop alternative therapies that confer benefits of
exercise to AD patients, circumventing their physical limitations. Prior work by our research team
identified Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase D1 (Gpld1) an exercise-induced
circulating factor in blood plasma that mediates the neurogenic and cognitive benefits of exercise
in aged mice and shows neurobehavioral relevance in elderly human adults. Systemically
increasing Gpld1 levels in blood mimicked the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive function
and AD-related neuropathology in aged mice and mouse models of AD pathology. The purpose
of this study is to translate the scientific discoveries identifying peripheral targets in blood –
GPLD1 in particular – as novel potential therapeutic blood-based exercise mimetics to treat AD-
related dementias. We will achieve this with Three Specific Aims: 1: Identify three lead
recombinant human GPLD1 molecules. 2: Establish optimal exposure through extensive in vivo
PK profiling in aged wild type mice of the three lead recombinant human GPLD1 molecules. 3:
Test one primary and one alternate lead recombinant human GPLD1 molecule for disease
modification in the 5xFAD mouse model of AD pathology. Successful completion of these aims is
the critical first step for the identification and commercialization of potential therapeutic blood-
based exercise mimetics to treat AD-related dementias.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11008078
- **Project number:** 1R41AG090238-01
- **Recipient organization:** CEIBA BIO INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Zhaoqing Ding
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $509,038
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11008078

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11008078, Developing blood-based exercise mimetic as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (1R41AG090238-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11008078. Licensed CC0.

---

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