Preventing early-onset Alzheimer's in a large Colombian family with a PSEN1 mutation
Official title: Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative ADAD Colombia Trial Program
Funded at Banner Health · NIH-11377188 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program tries treatments that remove amyloid to delay or prevent memory loss in people from a Colombian family who carry a PSEN1 mutation that causes early Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Banner Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phoenix, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $344,001 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG086363-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377188 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are relatives from the Colombian ADAD kindred, especially carriers of the PSEN1 E280A mutation who are still before or near the expected age of symptom onset.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not carry the PSEN1 mutation, those with unrelated forms of late-onset Alzheimer's, or those already with advanced dementia are unlikely to benefit directly from this prevention-focused program.
What this research studies
If you are part of the large Colombian kindred with the PSEN1 E280A mutation, the program follows thousands of relatives—including nearly 1,200 known carriers—using regular clinic visits, blood tests, PET and MRI scans, and cognitive exams. The team offers investigational antibody infusions and other interventions aimed at lowering brain amyloid and then tracks biomarker and cognitive changes over years. The project built local infusion, PET, and MRI capacity in Colombia and uses biomarker endpoints (blood and PET measures of amyloid and tau) alongside clinical monitoring. The program also includes ethical, social-support, and sample-sharing frameworks so participants and families are supported during long-term follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could delay or prevent cognitive decline in people with the PSEN1 E280A mutation and guide prevention strategies for Alzheimer's more broadly.
How similar studies have gone: Recent antibody trials in late-onset Alzheimer’s (lecanemab, donanemab) showed meaningful biomarker and clinical effects, supporting amyloid‑targeting prevention efforts, though prevention in genetically driven early-onset AD is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
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Banner Health
Phoenix, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alexander, Robert C — Banner Health
- Study coordinator: Alexander, Robert C
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.