Genetic testing to find causes of early-onset ischemic stroke
Official title: Whole Exome Sequencing Study of Early-Onset Ischemic Stroke
Funded at Baltimore VA Medical Center · NIH-11510007 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses whole-exome sequencing to look for gene changes that may cause ischemic stroke in adults who had a stroke at a young age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baltimore VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2020 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004672-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11510007 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (often veterans) who had an ischemic stroke at a young age and who can provide a DNA sample and access to their medical records are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without ischemic stroke, those whose stroke was hemorrhagic, or those whose stroke began late in life are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will look at the parts of your DNA that code for proteins (the exome) to find genetic changes linked to having an ischemic stroke early in life. They will compare these results from younger adults who had strokes with others to spot rare or strong genetic changes, using VA health records and data from collaborating sites. The effort includes people of different ancestries to make findings more useful across groups. You may be asked to provide a blood or saliva sample and allow access to your medical records.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could uncover genetic causes of early strokes that lead to better risk screening, prevention strategies, or new treatment targets.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large genetic studies in older adults have found many stroke-linked variants, and early-onset genetic approaches have successfully found strong-effect variants in other diseases, so this method has promising precedent.
Where this research is happening
-
Baltimore VA Medical Center
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cole, John W. — Baltimore VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Cole, John W.
Related research
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Repurposing NEXLETOL to treat ischemic stroke
Aims to see if the cholesterol drug NEXLETOL can help people after an ischemic stroke by supporting brain energy use and reducing injury.
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Modeling Acute Ischemic Stroke to Improve Mechanical Thrombectomy
A research project is creating better computer models and animal studies to help remove clots more safely and effectively in people who have an acute ischemic stroke.
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.