Using health records and common medicines to slow Alzheimer's
Big data and small molecules for Alzheimer's disease
This project uses VA medical records and lab testing to find common blood‑pressure and other medicines that might slow Alzheimer's in people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193427 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will analyze 25 million veterans' electronic health records (about 76 billion data points) to compare Alzheimer's outcomes in people prescribed vasodilators versus vasoconstrictors and other medications. They will combine those big‑data findings with laboratory experiments that tested drugs like Fasudil on mouse brains and human neuro‑spheroids to look for reductions in phosphorylated Tau. The goal is to prioritize already‑approved medicines that show signals of slowing disease progression and then test their clinical effectiveness. Research is led at Boston University using VA data and laboratory validation to identify candidates for future patient trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with mild cognitive impairment or any stage of Alzheimer’s disease, especially veterans whose treatment and outcomes appear in VA medical records and who are taking the medications under study.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer’s, those not in the VA healthcare system, or those not taking the medicines of interest are unlikely to be directly included or to receive immediate benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal existing approved medicines that slow Alzheimer’s, enabling faster repurposing into treatments for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier analyses by this team found slower AD progression among vasodilator users in VA records and lab studies showed reduced phosphorylated Tau in animal and human tissue models, but definitive clinical trials proving benefit are not yet completed.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xia, Weiming — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Xia, Weiming
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.