Genetic risk scores to predict diabetes medicine response in African American adults
Development of Polygenic Scores for Medication Response in Diverse Populations
This project builds genetic risk scores to help predict how African American adults with type 2 diabetes respond to common medications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170576 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will use genetic data from people of African ancestry together with medication and outcome records to create polygenic scores aimed at predicting drug response. They will develop methods that account for local ancestry across the genome so genetic effects can differ by ancestral background. New scores will be tested against current leading methods using cohorts of African American patients with adult-onset diabetes. The work combines genetic data, clinical records, and statistical comparisons to find which approaches best predict who benefits from which medicines.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes, particularly African American or African-descended individuals with genetic data or willing to provide DNA and medical records, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without type 2 diabetes, those not of African ancestry, or patients not using diabetes medications are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help clinicians choose diabetes medicines that work better for African American patients using genetic information.
How similar studies have performed: Polygenic scores have helped predict disease risk in European populations, but applying ancestry-aware scores to predict medication response in African American patients is relatively new and mostly untested.
Where this research is happening
East Lansing, United States
- Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences — East Lansing, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lanfear, David E — Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Lanfear, David E
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.