Could blood transfusions spread amyloid-linked brain blood vessel disease?
Official title: Possible transfusion transmitted cerebral amyloid angiopathy: evaluation of transmission of Aβ using the RADAR repository
Funded at Vitalant · NIH-11171455 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for signs that blood transfusions might pass along amyloid beta that can lead to cerebral amyloid angiopathy, by studying transfusion donors and recipients in a large biorepository.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vitalant NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $131,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HL175170-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171455 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have received blood transfusions in the past, especially those whose donor later had unexplained intracerebral hemorrhage, are the main focus of this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without any history of blood transfusion or whose brain bleeding is already explained by another cause are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you or your previously donated/received blood are included, researchers will link donors and recipients in the RADAR repository to see whether recipients of blood from donors who later had unexplained brain bleeds are more likely to develop CAA or intracerebral hemorrhage. They will analyze existing medical records and stored blood samples for signs of amyloid-β and related markers, and compare outcomes between recipients of at-risk units and other recipients. The work combines laboratory testing of samples with statistical analysis of transfusion and health-record data. This is retrospective research using existing records and samples rather than testing a new treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If true, findings could improve transfusion safety by identifying risky blood units or prompting new screening or handling practices to reduce future brain bleeds.
How similar studies have gone: Animal experiments and a large retrospective registry analysis have suggested possible Aβ transmissibility and links to brain hemorrhage, but transfusion transmission in humans has not been definitively proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Vitalant
Scottsdale, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Busch, Michael Paul — Vitalant
- Study coordinator: Busch, Michael Paul
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.