2024 Alzheimer's Association Research Grant (AARG)
Pharmaco-Omics Approach Linking Hormone Therapy And Alzheimer's Disease
Can hormone therapy impact genetic and metabolic factors linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in women?
Amanda Seyerle, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC - United States
Background
According to the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association Facts & Figures report, of the estimated 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s, nearly two-thirds are women. Though the primary reasons for this difference are unknown, research suggests sex hormones may be involved, specifically during menopause. In menopause, levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, drop in the body, and this drop may impact brain function and dementia risk. Other studies, moreover, indicate that hormone therapy (which women undergo to manage symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and fatigue) may be associated with changes in genes and metabolism (the body’s ability to convert food into energy) – changes thought to promote the development of Alzheimer’s. Taken together, such findings reveal an urgent need for more research into biological mechanisms underlying the role of hormone therapy in Alzheimer’s risk.
Research Plan
Dr. Amanda Seyerle and colleagues will devote their research grant to a larger study of hormone therapy and Alzheimer’s in women. For this effort, they will leverage female health data from two large-scale projects: a study of aging called TOPMed (Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine) and a British collection of clinical and genetic information called the UK Biobank. Using this data, the researchers will examine how women who received hormone therapy experienced changes in certain genes and metabolites (compounds produced during metabolism) over time – and how these changes may be linked to brain function and dementia risk.
Impact
Results from Dr. Seyerle’s project could refine our understanding of how hormone therapy affects women’s brain health. They could also identify specific genes and metabolites (compounds produced when the body breaks down large molecules) that can be targeted in novel therapies for preventing Alzheimer’s in women.