Human Biospecimen Core to study APOE-related protection in Alzheimer’s disease
Official title: Core B (Human Biospecimen Core)
Funded at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville · NIH-11418798 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A specialized repository will collect and share human brain tissue, CSF, and blood to help researchers understand how APOE genes and rare protective variants reduce Alzheimer’s risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Jacksonville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Jacksonville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $562,080 |
| NIH project number | 2U19AG069701-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418798 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, those at risk due to APOE status, and donors providing postmortem tissue, CSF, or plasma.
✕Less likely to help
Direct clinical benefit to patients may be limited in early phases; this is a biospecimen core supporting research rather than a patient-facing treatment.
What this research studies
This core will gather postmortem brain tissue, CSF, and plasma from people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s to support multiple research projects. It will isolate and study APOE lipoprotein particles and perform integrated analyses like single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and lipidomics. The aim is to identify biomarkers and mechanisms by which APOE variants modify disease progression and prognosis, and to share these resources with the broader scientific community.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve our understanding of who is protected against Alzheimer’s and lead to new biomarker-guided strategies for prevention and diagnosis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that APOE-related biology is central to AD risk and progression; this core builds on established methods with advanced omics to uncover protective mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Jacksonville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Na — Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Na
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.