# Blood-hypothalamus barrier and metabolic impairment in advanced aging

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $459,627

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The world population is aging. Despite our advances in extending lifespan, there is tremendous
individuality in age-related morbidity and mortality. It is recognized that the breakdown of the
blood-brain barrier (BBB) in hippocampus marks an early event of cognitive impairment in
aging. However, how aging affects BBB in the hypothalamus, and its ensuring metabolic
consequences is not well understood. The goal of this study is to test whether the age-related
decline of tanycyte number contributes to the weakening of the BBB in the hypothalamus and its
impact on metabolic impairment and mortality. We will determine if proliferative capacity of
tanycytes decreases with age, leading to age-dependent loss of tanycytes. We will explore if
inadequate tanycyte proliferation leads to weakened BBB in the mediobasal hypothalamus and
its consequences. We will evaluate if aging of the AgRP neurons outside the BBB marks the
decline of AgRP neuronal function and metabolic derailment in advanced aging. Lifespan is
influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Given the essential roles of the AgRP
neurons in metabolic control and their unique anatomical localization outside the BBB,
information obtained from this study will establish the importance of the hypothalamic BBB in
metabolic control and longevity in advanced aging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9897509
- **Project number:** 5R01AG063506-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Allison W Xu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $459,627
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9897509

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9897509, Blood-hypothalamus barrier and metabolic impairment in advanced aging (5R01AG063506-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9897509. Licensed CC0.

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