Brain and biofluid resource for Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia research
Core C: Resource Core
This project collects and shares brain tissue, DNA, and biofluids from people with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body disorders so researchers can learn what causes dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184450 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, clinicians follow you over time and document your symptoms, and a comprehensive brain exam is done after death using standardized criteria. The Core banks fixed and frozen brain tissue, DNA, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and alpha-synuclein proteopathic seeds from enrolled cases. Stored samples are cataloged and distributed to investigators in the program to study how amyloid, tau, TDP-43, and alpha-synuclein contribute to cognitive decline. This link between detailed clinical records and well-characterized tissue helps researchers connect symptoms during life to the exact brain changes found after death.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Alzheimer's disease or Lewy body disorders who agree to longitudinal follow-up and to donate brain tissue and biofluids for research.
Not a fit: People without neurodegenerative disease or those unwilling to consent to postmortem donation are unlikely to directly benefit from this core resource.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the resource could speed discoveries about disease causes and potential treatment targets by giving researchers access to well-characterized human brain samples.
How similar studies have performed: Existing brain banks and tissue-sharing programs have enabled major discoveries in Alzheimer’s and related disorders, and this Core builds on those established, successful models.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Edward Byung-Ha — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Lee, Edward Byung-Ha
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.