How Alzheimer's differs between women and men to find new treatments
Sex-specific Molecular Profiling to Understand Pathology and Identify Causal Genes and Drug Targets for Alzheimer's Disease
This project compares biological markers in women and men with Alzheimer's to find genes and drug targets that could lead to better, more personalized treatments.
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 ID | NIH-11159582 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will create detailed molecular profiles from brain and other tissues using DNA methylation, gene expression, proteins, metabolites, and lipids collected in large Alzheimer cohorts. They will analyze these data separately for women and men to uncover sex-linked differences in disease risk and progression. The team will integrate genetic information with these molecular layers using mapping and Mendelian randomization to identify likely causal genes and proteins. The goal is to reveal sex-specific drug targets and biomarkers that could guide future prevention and treatment efforts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Alzheimer's disease or participants in Alzheimer's cohort or brain-donor programs who can provide clinical information and biological samples with documented sex and genetic-risk data (for example APOE ε4 status).
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's, those unwilling to share samples or medical records, or those whose disease is unrelated to the genetic and molecular pathways studied are unlikely to gain direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify sex-specific biomarkers and drug targets that help make prevention and treatment more effective for women and men with Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have performed: Previous genetic and omics work has identified Alzheimer risk genes such as APOE, but comprehensive sex-specific multi-omics mapping across tissues is a newer approach with limited precedent.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sung, Yunju — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Sung, Yunju
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.