NIH-funded research U01 cooperative agreement

APOL1 Genetics and Kidney Transplant Outcomes in African Ancestry Donors and Recipients

Official title: 1/14 APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Clinical Center

Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11375086 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This grant studies how donor APOL1 gene variants affect kidney transplant success, especially for recipients with African ancestry.

More Kidney Transplantation research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project startSeptember 25, 2017
Project endMay 31, 2028
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$48,049
NIH project number5U01DK116092-09
Project IDNIH-11375086 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Recipients of kidney transplants or potential living kidney donors who are of recent African ancestry or have African heritage.

Less likely to help

Patients receiving non-African ancestry kidneys with typical outcomes may not see personalized changes from this research.

What this research studies

If a kidney comes from an African-American donor, outcomes can be worse than those from European-American donors. The project follows transplant recipients and living donors over time to see how APOL1 gene variants might interact with other factors to influence graft survival. It involves collecting long-term data on graft function, injury, and survival, and includes several clinical centers coordinated by a national consortium. Patients could contribute by joining the registry, providing samples, or consenting to long-term follow-up.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Better understanding of genetic factors that influence transplant success could lead to personalized donor-recipient matching and improved long-term outcomes for patients.

How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows APOL1 variants are associated with transplant outcomes, with some centers reporting variable survival depending on genotype.

Where this research is happening

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Madison, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Astor, Brad C — University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Study coordinator: Astor, Brad C

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.