Why Alzheimer's affects women more than men
Integrative genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses to investigate sex-specific differences in Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers are comparing genes and proteins in male and female brains to find biological reasons women have higher Alzheimer's risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11302662 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, scientists will compare gene activity and protein levels in male and female human brain tissue to spot differences linked to Alzheimer's. They will combine those measurements with large-scale genetic data to pinpoint specific genes and proteins that may drive higher risk in women. The team will apply integrative genomics and proteomics methods that have found Alzheimer-related proteins before, but will run the analyses separately by sex to reveal sex-specific signals. Findings aim to guide future work toward prevention or treatments tailored by sex.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with Alzheimer's or older adults willing to contribute genetic information or consent to brain donation through participating centers.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate symptom relief or approved treatments should not expect direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological targets that lead to sex-specific prevention strategies or treatments for Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have performed: Similar integrative genomic and proteomic approaches have previously identified new Alzheimer's-linked proteins, so this builds on methods with prior success.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wingo, Thomas Spurgeon — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Wingo, Thomas Spurgeon
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.