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The effects of aging and Alzheimer’s disease pathology on vascular-associated proteins in chimpanzees and humans

Drs. Melissa K. Edler (Anthropology, Â鶹ÊÓƵ) and William D. Hopkins (Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Aging is associated with an increased risk for developing cardiovascular (i.e., heart disease), cerebrovascular (e.g., stroke), and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease), and these conditions are highly linked to cognitive decline in humans. Similarly, our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, demonstrate mild cognitive decline during aging and experience vascular-related illnesses. However, notable differences in aging and vascular health are present between the species, and these distinctions may inform us why humans are uniquely susceptible to the severe cognitive impairment observed in Alzheimer’s disease. For example, coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis is the most frequent type of heart disease seen in older humans, while great apes are prone to cardiomyopathy-associated heart failure. The rarity of atherosclerosis in apes is unexpected, since chimpanzees have higher cholesterol levels, increased low-density lipoprotein, and decreased high-density lipoprotein relative to humans. Yet few studies have explored the vascular effects of heart disease on brain function between humans and apes. In this project, we will investigate the impact of aging on vascular-associated proteins to explore how heart disease differs among humans and chimpanzees and to determine if these vascular markers are associated with cognitive impairment in chimpanzees. By connecting neurological changes with heart pathology, we will gain insight into the pathophysiology of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as identify targets for therapeutic intervention to improve vascular health in both humans and great apes.