Preparing a trial-ready group for LATE (age-related TDP-43 brain changes)
Discovery and Trial Ready Cohort for Limbic Predominant Age Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (TRC LATE)
This project is building a group of people aged 85 and older with LATE-type brain changes to prepare for early trials while collecting yearly tests, scans, and blood samples.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11219063 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a multi-site effort to identify older adults with LATE, a common brain change that can cause memory loss and dementia. The team will recruit 420 people aged 85+ at five Alzheimer’s research centers and do yearly cognitive testing, yearly brain MRIs, blood draws every year, and FDG-PET scans every two years, with some tests done remotely. About 200 participants who match current LATE criteria will be placed into a trial-ready group for future early-phase treatments. The project also aims to improve LATE diagnostic criteria, find blood and imaging markers, and test better ways to recruit people into trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 85 or older with memory complaints or Alzheimer-type cognitive changes who can travel to one of the participating Alzheimer’s centers and agree to repeated scans, blood draws, and cognitive testing.
Not a fit: People younger than 85, those without cognitive concerns, or those unable or unwilling to undergo MRIs, PET scans, blood draws, or site visits are unlikely to qualify or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed up early clinical trials for LATE and help doctors detect and target this cause of dementia in very old adults sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Building trial-ready cohorts and collecting imaging and blood biomarkers has helped Alzheimer research, but applying this focused approach to LATE and validating LATE-specific biomarkers is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sajjadi, Seyed Ahmad — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Sajjadi, Seyed Ahmad
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.