DIAN-TU: A Prevention Trial for Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease
Official title: DIAN-TU Primary Prevention Trial
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11579135 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-country study tests a preventive therapy to help people who carry a dominant Alzheimer’s mutation stay cognitively well long before symptoms begin.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2018 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $142,039 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG059798-06S8 |
| Project ID | NIH-11579135 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are asymptomatic individuals who carry a dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s mutation, are 11–25 years before expected symptom onset, and have minimal amyloid brain burden at entry.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not carry an AD mutation, or who already show significant amyloid pathology or cognitive symptoms, may not benefit from this trial.
What this research studies
This program runs a multi-stage, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in people who carry dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s mutations and are years away from symptom onset. It uses a phased design to test remternetug first, with a plan to advance based on results, all within an established DIAN-TU trial platform spanning 16 countries and 40 sites. Participants are asymptomatic carriers 11 to 25 years from the estimated onset and with minimal brain amyloid at entry, aiming to intervene before disease biology progresses. The study builds on recent amyloid-clearing findings and seeks to determine whether early treatment can dramatically alter cognitive trajectories in a highly at-risk population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the trial could delay or prevent cognitive decline in people with a dominantly inherited risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous trials targeting amyloid have shown that removing plaques can slow decline, supporting the rationale for this preventive approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcdade, Eric Martin — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mcdade, Eric Martin
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.