Understanding blood vessel changes in Alzheimer’s
Official title: Elucidating the Role of Endothelial Dysfunction in Alzheimer Disease: Towards A New Data-Driven Disease Model
Funded at Saint Louis University · NIH-11328208 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for proteins and RNA signs of blood-vessel damage in people with Alzheimer’s to see how those changes relate to memory and brain scans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Saint Louis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $554,190 |
| NIH project number | 7RF1AG083744-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11328208 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people enrolled in the participating long-term cohorts, including those with late-onset sporadic Alzheimer’s, healthy controls, or non-Alzheimer dementias who can provide clinical data and biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without relevant clinical enrollment or who cannot provide CSF or include brain tissue samples may not see direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will measure specific proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and RNA in brain tissue using proteomics and transcriptomics across three large long-term groups (over 3,400 people) including late-onset Alzheimer’s, healthy volunteers, and other dementias. They will compare these endothelial biomarkers to years of cognitive tests and MRI scans to see whether blood-vessel changes appear early in the disease. The team will build a data-driven model to map how endothelial dysfunction may fit into Alzheimer’s progression. Much of the work uses stored samples and long-term clinical data to link these markers to real-world memory and scan outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect Alzheimer’s earlier and point to new ways to protect the brain’s blood vessels to slow disease.
How similar studies have gone: Using CSF proteomics and brain transcriptomics to study vascular changes in Alzheimer’s is relatively new and preliminary data are promising, but this is one of the first large longitudinal efforts focused on endothelial markers.
Where this research is happening
-
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tarawneh, Rawan — Saint Louis University
- Study coordinator: Tarawneh, Rawan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Endothelial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease: a data-driven model for diagnosis and prognosis
This research explores brain blood vessel problems in people with Alzheimer’s to find new biomarkers that could help diagnose and predict progression.
-
Understanding how blood vessel problems affect Alzheimer’s disease
This study is looking at how problems with blood vessels might affect Alzheimer’s disease by checking for certain markers in the brain and spinal fluid, and it’s for anyone interested in understanding more about Alzheimer’s and its early signs.
-
Mitochondrial energy problems in men and women with Alzheimer’s disease
This grant tests how mitochondria differ between men and women with Alzheimer's disease to find ways to tailor care.
-
Mitochondrial energy problems in people with Alzheimer’s and related brain diseases
A research effort is looking at how mitochondrial energy problems differ between men and women with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and what this means for future care.
-
Understanding Alzheimer's Genetic Risk in African and Admixed African-American People
A study looks at genetic factors and biomarkers to understand why Alzheimer's disease affects African and admixed African-American communities differently.
-
Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s in African and admixed African-American communities
Researchers will study how genes influence Alzheimer’s risk in people of African ancestry to better understand why the disease affects diverse communities differently.
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.