Capitol News

Michigan State University (MSU) researchers have secured a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate dementia risks. The study will focus on potential links between vitamin D deficiency, gut microbial imbalance, and inflammation as contributors to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Amara Ezeamama, an epidemiologist and associate professor in MSU's Department of Psychiatry, notes that nearly 7% of older individuals globally live with Alzheimer's or related dementia. This prevalence doubles every five years and can reach up to 40% among those over 80. By 2025, the disease rate is expected to triple.

The research aims to determine if patients diagnosed with HIV and vitamin D deficiency face higher risks of age-related cognitive decline. Vitamin D supports immune function and regulates thousands of genes through its receptor found in many tissues, including brain areas affecting cognition.

Ezeamama explains that "cognitive decline is a natural part of aging," but vitamin D deficiency accelerates neuron cell death and ADRD progression by causing inflammation. Gut microbial imbalance can also worsen ADRD through the gut-brain axis, affecting immune functions that lead to further brain inflammation. HIV patients already experience lowered immunity, so aging-related declines could have compounding effects.

The research team seeks ways to stabilize the gut and address causes of vitamin D deficiency, inflammation severity, and HIV status impact on cognition. The study will be conducted in Uganda under Ezeamama's leadership.

The MSU multi-department team includes Alla Sikorskii from the College of Osteopathic Medicine; Ilce Medina Meza from Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Shannon Manning from the College of Natural Science; and Nicholas Kanaan from translational neuroscience in the College of Human Medicine.

Collaborators include representatives from the Uganda Society for Health Scientists and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center—a consortium involving MSU, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University.