Cure Alzheimer's Fund Cure Alzheimer's Fund

Berislav Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D.

On Leave: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California

Over the course of 20 years, Dr. Zlokovic has demonstrated that damage to the blood-brain barrier and microcirculation has a key role in the development of a neurodegenerative process in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Collectively, he proposed that vascular-mediated neurodegeneration may underlie cognitive decline. These discoveries are of exceptional importance to understanding pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease. Besides academic interests, Zlokovic is co-founder with Mr. Selim K. Zilkha of three biotechnology companies with a mission to develop new therapies for the aging and damaged brain, including: ZZ (Zilkha-Zlokovic) Alztech, which focuses on development of new therapeutics and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and manufacturing of a recombinant lipoprotein receptor for Alzheimer’s disease treatment; ZZ (Zilkha-Zlokovic), Biotech, which focuses on manufacturing recombinant secon-generation analog of activated protein C for stroke; Socratech L.L.C., which focuses on vascular genes and drug screening in Alzheimer’s disease.

Related Research:

Cellular and Molecular Studies of Apolipoprotein E Regulation of Blood-Brain Barrier, Synaptic and Neuronal Functions and Protection Strategies in Mouse Models With and Without Alzheimer’s Pathology Berislav Zlokovic 2022-02-17 Molecular Signatures of APOE-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction Causing Neuronal and Synaptic Dysfunction Berislav Zlokovic 2020-01-09 PICALM Gene Therapy and Drug Screening for Amyloid Beta Clearance (Year 3) Berislav Zlokovic 2018-06-19 The Role of PICALM Mutations in Alzheimer’s Disease Berislav Zlokovic Zhen Zhao 2016-01-12 PICALM Gene Therapy and Drug Screening for Abeta Clearance Berislav Zlokovic Beverly L. Davidson 2015-09-28 The role of PICALM in vascular clearance of amyloid-B and neuronal injury Berislav Zlokovic 2014-07-17 The Role of PICALM in Vascular Clearance of Amyloid Beta Berislav Zlokovic 2012-12-05

Funded Research

These projects were made possible from Cure Alzheimer's Fund support.

Project Description Researchers Funding
Cellular and Molecular Studies of Apolipoprotein E Regulation of Blood-Brain Barrier, Synaptic and Neuronal Functions and Protection Strategies in Mouse Models With and Without Alzheimer’s Pathology 2021, 2023

$500,000
Molecular Signatures of APOE-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction Causing Neuronal and Synaptic Dysfunction 2019-2020

$595,000
PICALM Gene Therapy and Drug Screening for Amyloid Beta Clearance (Year 3) 2018

$300,000
The Role of PICALM Mutations in Alzheimer’s Disease 2015, 2017, 2018

$645,000
PICALM Gene Therapy and Drug Screening for Abeta Clearance 2015, 2016

$600,170
The role of PICALM in vascular clearance of amyloid-B and neuronal injury 2014

$250,000
The Role of PICALM in Vascular Clearance of Amyloid Beta 2012

100,000

Selected Publications

These published papers resulted from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund support.

Thorwald, M. A., Sta Maria, N. S., Chakhoyan, A., O'Day, P. A., Jacobs, R. E., Zlokovic, B., & Finch, C. E. Iron chelation by oral deferoxamine treatment decreased brain iron and iron signaling proteins, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, February 2, 2025, Read More

Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Therapeutic TVs for Crossing Barriers in the Brain, Cell, July 23, 2020, Read More

Ma, Q., Zhao, Z., Sagare, A. P., Wu, Y., Wang, M., Owens, N. C., Verghese, P. B., Herz, J., Holtzman, D. M., & Zlokovic, B. V. Blood-brain barrier-associated pericytes internalize and clear aggregated amyloid-β42 by LRP1-dependent apolipoprotein E isoform-specific mechanism, Molecular Neurodegeneration, October 19, 2018, Read More

Kisler, K., Sagare, A. P., Lazic, D., Bazzi, S., Lawson, E., Hsu, C. J., Wang, Y., Ramanathan, A., Nelson, A. R., Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Anti-malaria drug artesunate prevents development of amyloid-β pathology in mice by upregulating PICALM at the blood-brain barrier, Molecular Neurodegeneration, January 27, 2023, Read More

Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Can prehospital “plasma supplement” neutralize the systemic storm in severe trauma?, Cell Reports Medicine, December 21, 2021, Read More

Sagare, A. P., Sweeney, M. D., Nelson, A. R., Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Prion Protein Antagonists Rescue Alzheimer’s Amyloid-Beta Related Cognitive Deficits, Trends in Molecular Medicine, February 1, 2019, Read More

Sweeney, M. D., Zhao, Z., Montagne, A., Nelson, A. R., & Zlokovic, B. V. Blood-Brain Barrier: From Physiology to Disease and Back, Physiological Reviews, January 1, 2019, Read More

Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Endothelial Tip Cell Finds Its Way with Piezo1, Neuron, October 14, 2020, Read More

Nelson, A. R., Sagare, M. A., Wang, Y., Kisler, K., Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Channelrhodopsin Excitation Contracts Brain Pericytes and Reduces Blood Flow in the Aging Mouse Brain in vivo, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, April 29, 2020, Read More

Sweeney, M. D., Montagne, A., Sagare, A. P., Nation, D. A., Schneider, L. S., Chui, H. C., Harrington, M. G., Pa, J., Law, M., Wang, D. J. J., Jacobs, R. E., Doubal, F. N., Ramirez, J., Black, S. E., Nedergaard, M., Benveniste, H., Dichgans, M., Iadecola, C., Love, S., Bath, P. M., … Zlokovic, B. V. Vascular dysfunction — The disregarded partner of Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer's & Dementia, January 1, 2019, Read More

Sweeney, M. D., Sagare, A. P., & Zlokovic, B. V. Blood-brain barrier breakdown in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, Nature Reviews Neurology, March 1, 2018, Read More

Montagne, A., Nation, D. A., Sagare, A. P., Barisano, G., Sweeney, M. D., Chakhoyan, A., Pachicano, M., Joe, E., Nelson, A. R., D'Orazio, L. M., Buennagel, D. P., Harrington, M. G., Benzinger, T. L. S., Fagan, A. M., Ringman, J. M., Schneider, L. S., Morris, J. C., Reiman, E. M., Caselli, R. J., Chui, H. C., TCW, J., Chen, Y., Pa, J., Conti, P. S., Law, M., Toga, A.W., & Zlokovic, B. APOE4 Leads to Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction Predicting Cognitive Decline, Nature, April 29, 2020, Read More

Montagne, A., Nikolakopoulou, A. M., Huuskonen, M. T., Sagare, A. P., Lawson, E. J., Lazic, D., Rege, S. V., Grond, A., Zuniga, E., Barnes, S. R., Prince, J., Sagare, M., Hsu, C. J., LaDu, M. J., Jacobs, R. E., & Zlokovic, B. V. APOE4 accelerates advanced-stage vascular and neurodegenerative disorder in old Alzheimer’s mice via cyclophilin A independently of amyloid-β, Nature Aging, June 14, 2021, Read More

Barisano, G., Montagne, A., Kisler, K., Schneider, J. A., Wardlaw, J. M., & Zlokovic, B. V. Blood–brain barrier link to human cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, Nature Cardiovascular Research, February 7, 2022, Read More

Kisler, K., Nikolakopoulou, A. M., & Zlokovic, B. V. Microglia have a grip on brain microvasculature., Nature Communications, September 6, 2021, Read More

Nation, D. A., Sweeney, M. D., Montagne, A., Sagare, A. P., D'Orazio, L. M., Pachicano, M., Sepehrband, F., Nelson, A. R., Buennagel, D. P., Harrington, M. G., Benzinger, T. L. S., Fagan, A. M., Ringman, J. M., Schneider, L. S., Morris, J. C., Chui, H. C., Law, M., Toga, A. W., & Zlokovic, B. V. Blood-brain barrier breakdown is an early biomarker of human cognitive dysfunction, Nature Medicine, January 1, 2019, Read More

Sweeney, M. D., Kisler, K., Montagne, A., Toga, A. W., & Zlokovic, B. V. The role of brain vasculature in neurodegenerative disorders, Nature Neuroscience, October 1, 2018, Read More

Zlokovic, B. V., Gottesman, R. F., Bernstein, K. E., Seshadri, S., McKee, A., Snyder, H., Greenberg, S. M., Yaffe, K., Schaffer, C. B., Yuan, C., Hughes, T. M., Daemen, M. J., Williamson, J. D., González, H. M., Schneider, J., Wellington, C. L., Katusic, Z. S., Stoeckel, L., Koenig, J. I., Corriveau, R. A., Fine, L., Galis, Z. G., Reis, J., Wright, J.D., & Chen, J. Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID): A report from the 2018 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Workshop, Alzheimer's & Dementia, October 8, 2020, Read More

Barisano, G., Kisler, K., Wilkinson, B., Nikolakopoulou, A. M., Sagare, A. P., Wang, Y., Gilliam, W., Huuskonen, M. T., Hung, S. T., Ichida, J. K., Gao, F., Coba, M. P., & Zlokovic, B. V. A “multi-omics” analysis of blood–brain barrier and synaptic dysfunction in APOE4 mice, Journal of Experimental Medicine, August 30, 2022, Read More

Kisler, K., Lazic, D., Sweeney, M. D., Plunkett, S., El Khatib, M., Vinogradov, S. A., Boas, D. A., Sakadži, S., & Zlokovic, B. V. In vivo imaging and analysis of cerebrovascular hemodynamic responses and tissue oxygenation in the mouse brain, Nature Protocols, March 1, 2018, Read More

Martinez, A. E., Weissberger, G., Kuklenyik, Z., He, X., Meuret, C., Parekh, T., Rees, J. C., Parks, B. A., Gardner, M. S., King, S. M., Collier, T. S., Harrington, M. G., Sweeney, M. D., Wang, X., Zlokovic, B. V., Joe, E., Nation, D. A., Schneider, L. S., Chui, H. C., Barr, J. R., Han, S.D., Krauss, R.M., & Yassine, H. N. The small HDL particle hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer's & Dementia, April 13, 2022, Read More

Huuskonen, M. T., Barisano, G., Chakhoyan, A., & Zlokovic, B. V. Editorial for “MRI-Based Investigation of Association Between Cerebrovascular Structural Alteration and White Matter Hyperintensity Induced by High Blood Pressure”, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, July 31, 2021, Read More

Huuskonen, M. T., Kisler, K., Sagare, A. P., & Zlokovic, B. V. On the intersection between systemic infection, brain vascular dysfunction and dementia, Brain, May 11, 2021, Read More

Yassine, H. N., Self, W., Kerman, B. E., Santoni, G., Navalpur Shanmugam, N., Abdullah, L., Golden, L. R., Fonteh, A. N., Harrington, M. G., Gräff, J., Gibson, G. E., Kalaria, R., Luchsinger, J. A., Feldman, H. H., Swerdlow, R. H., Johnson, L. A., Albensi, B. C., Zlokovic, B. V., Tanzi, R., Cunnane, S., … Bowman, G. L. Nutritional metabolism and cerebral bioenergetics in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Alzheimer's & Dementia, December 8, 2022, Read More

Zeng, J., Wang, Y., Luo, Z., Chang, L. C., Yoo, J. S., Yan, H., Choi, Y., Xie, X., Deverman, B. E., Gradinaru, V., Gupton, S. L., Zlokovic, B. V., Zhao, Z., & Jung, J. U. TRIM9-Mediated Resolution of Neuroinflammation Confers Neuroprotection upon Ischemic Stroke in Mice, Cell Reports , April 9, 2019, Read More

Montagne, A., Zhao, Z., & Zlokovic, B. V. Alzheimer’s disease: A matter of blood-brain barrier dysfunction?, Journal of Experimental Medicine, 10/23/2017, Read More

Kisler, K., Nelson, A. R., Montagne, A., & Zlokovic, B. V. Cerebral blood flow regulation and neurovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer disease, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, May 18, 2017, Read More

Liang, Q., Luo, Z., Zeng, J., Chen, W., Foo, S. S., Lee, S. A., Ge, J., Wang, S., Goldman, S. A., Zlokovic, B. V., Zhao, Z., & Jung, J. U. Zika Virus NS4A and NS4B Proteins Deregulate Akt-mTOR Signaling in Human Fetal Neural Stem Cells to Inhibit Neurogenesis and Induce Autophagy, Cell Stem Cell, November 3, 2016, Read More

Sweeney, M. D., Ayyadurai, S., & Zlokovic, B. V. Pericytes of the neurovascular unit: key functions and signaling pathways, Nature Neuroscience, May 26, 2016, Read More

Nelson, A. R., Sweeney, M. D., Sagare, A. P., & Zlokovic, B. V. Neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Biochimica et Biophysica acta , December 17, 2015, Read More

Zhao, Z., Sagare, A. P., Ma, Q., Halliday, M. R., Kong, P., Kisler, K., Winkler, E. A., Ramanathan, A., Kanekiyo, T., Bu, G., Owens, N. C., Rege, S. V., Si, G., Ahuja, A., Zhu, D., Miller, C. A., Schneider, J. A., Maeda, M., Maed Central role for PICALM in amyloid-β blood-brain barrier transcytosis and clearance, Nature Neuroscience, May 25, 2015, Read More

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