# BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

The major area of our research is to help understand the causes of, and development
treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions, in particular Alzheimer’s
Disease (AD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This work includes repurposing drugs that are
FDA-approved for other indications but we show can provide benefit in animal models of
AD and MS, making it easier to bring them to the clinic. A better understanding of how
these diseases start and evolve, and identification of interventions will help reduce
disease symptoms, as well as social and economic burdens. Our MS studies currently
funded by a Merit grant have expanded into the area of genetic risk factors that may
predispose one to developing MS, based on our findings of a novel nucleotide variant in
one particular gene. We are now determining how the variant increases risk using cell
cultures and a mouse model that we developed to replicate the human variant, and testing
drugs to see if they can minimize its effects. We are also testing if this variant, or others,
is present at higher frequency in certain veteran populations, including in African
American, Hispanic, and Caucasian cohorts. At the same time in work funded by the
National MS society, we are testing a novel compound in a mouse model of MS we
believe will reduce neuronal damage and also increase the myelin sheath that surrounds
and protections nerve cells.
We are also working on a project to evaluate the consequences of excessive alcohol
consumption on the development of AD. We found that exposing brain ‘support’ cells (glial
cells) to ethanol reduces their ability to clear amyloid plaques; we plan to extend those
cell studies to a mouse model of AD. We have also been funded to carry out studies that
may have particular importance to our active military as well as veteran population,
namely studies on possible neurological damage caused by commonly used anti-
coagulants (e.g.warfarin), and also more potent ‘superwarfarins’ that are used as
rodenticides, but unfortunately have also been used in military situations. We are
developing methods using FDA-approved drugs, we hope will prevent the toxic effects of
these drugs as well as long term consequences.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9872724
- **Project number:** 1IK6BX004852-01
- **Recipient organization:** JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Douglas L. Feinstein
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9872724

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9872724, BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application (1IK6BX004852-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9872724. Licensed CC0.

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