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Breaking Barriers: Integrating Immunology and Neuroscience to Transform AD/ADRD Research and Bring a Better Understanding of the Aging Brain is sponsored by National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH. This highlighted topic encourages interdisciplinary, investigator-initiated research that integrates immunology, neuroscience, and biogerontology to advance the prevention, treatment, and potential cure of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD).
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Breaking Barriers: Integrating Immunology and Neuroscience to Transform AD/ADRD Research and Bring a Better Understanding of the Aging Brain | Grants & Funding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Breaking Barriers: Integrating Immunology and Neuroscience to Transform AD/ADRD Research and Bring a Better Understanding of the Aging Brain When beginning your next investigator-initiated application, consider the following NIH highlighted topic.
The area of science described below is of interest to the listed NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This is not a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). Apply through an appropriate NIH Parent Funding Announcement or another broad NIH opportunity available on Grants.
gov . Learn how to interpret and use Highlighted Topics . Expiration Date: May 1, 2028 This topic underscores the critical need for interdisciplinary, investigator-initiated research that integrates immunology, neuroscience, and biogerontology to advance the prevention, treatment, and potential cure of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD).
Accumulating evidence implicates dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses in the aging brain as a significant contributor to AD/ADRD pathogenesis. However, mechanistic understanding and the translational potential of such findings remains limited, due to insufficient cross-disciplinary collaboration.
By promoting collaborative studies of immune-nervous system interactions across the aging lifespan, this topic aims to accelerate fundamental discovery and support the development of improved diagnostics, risk stratification tools, and innovative immunotherapeutic strategies.
Background and Scientific Context Mounting evidence suggests that the adaptive and innate immune systems play critical roles in normal aging brain and the pathogenesis of AD/ADRD. In clinical studies, changes in properties of T-cells, B-cells, the complement system, and immunophenotypes, including presence of neurodegenerative disease-specific autoantibodies, have been reported in individuals living with AD/ADRD.
Research further suggests a link between autoimmunity, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite these promising insights, there are limited studies that directly address these important research areas and the underlying clinical relationships between these conditions remain poorly understood.
A major obstacle is the lack of sustained collaboration between immunologists, infectious disease experts, and neuroscientists, leaving a critical knowledge gap that hinders progress in the field.
By fostering sustained interdisciplinary efforts and using cutting edge technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), and novel model systems, we can accelerate discovery at the intersection of the immune system (i.e., autoimmunity/infectious disease) and nervous system, thereby identifying molecular pathways and mechanisms that may transform our understanding of cognitive decline of aging brain and pathology of AD/ADRD, inform the development of novel biomarkers, and unveil novel therapeutic targets.
Therefore, this topic is proposed to encourage more efforts on determining the relationships between the immune and nervous systems in the aging brain and etiology of AD/ADRD. These studies hold the potential to revolutionize AD/ADRD diagnostics, enable more precise risk stratification, and support discovery of immunotherapeutics.
National Institute on Aging (NIA) NIA encourages the use of innovative approaches including organoids, microphysiological systems, animal models, human tissues, AI, and computational modeling. Studies should clarify how immune processes contribute to brain aging and AD/ADRD etiology and, when appropriate, how social and behavioral factors also contribute.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Innate/adaptive immunity roles and crosstalk in healthy aging and AD/ADRD, including behavior Links among immunosenescence, neuroinflammation, infection, autoimmunity and neurodegeneration; preventive or therapeutic strategies (e.g., vaccines); amyloid as possible antimicrobial response Mechanisms of immune dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD/ADRD Lifespan immunophenotype changes, exposome effects, including behavioral/social factors Novel biomarker discovery/validation Testing new AD/ADRD interventions National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) This topic aligns with NIAID’s priorities on mapping immune system function across the lifespan in health and disease, including mechanisms and regulation of neuro-immune crosstalk, and the role of pathogen or microbiome exposures.
NIAID encourages applications focused on AD/ADRD to study areas of interest including: Immune mechanisms linked to development, progression or protection from neurodegeneration. Identification and validation of cellular and molecular immune mechanisms in neurodegeneration, including: Role of sex and immune aging on cellular and molecular immune mechanisms.
Distinct functional roles/states of brain-resident innate and adaptive immune cells across stages of AD/ADRD. Development and application of in vivo and in vitro models that reflect human immune-brain interactions, immune diversity, and aging. Immune mechanisms connecting infectious exposures to neurodegeneration, including the role of the microbiome and its metabolites.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) NIEHS is interested in epidemiology, mechanistic (including toxicology, gene-environment interactions), and appropriate in vitro, in vivo, and computational approaches.
Primary interest is in studies that examine the role of the exposome/environmental exposures on the immune system and brain in the development and/or progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD). Examples of environmentally relevant exposures of primary NIEHS interest include industrial chemicals or manufacturing byproducts, metals, pesticides, air pollutants and other inhaled toxicants.
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According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Individual investigators applying through relevant NIH Parent Funding Announcements. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Applications for Breaking Barriers: Integrating Immunology and Neuroscience to Transform AD/ADRD Research and Bring a Better Understanding of the Aging Brain are due May 1, 2028. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Breaking Barriers: Integrating Immunology and Neuroscience to Transform AD/ADRD Research and Bring a Better Understanding of the Aging Brain is funded by National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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