Tuesday, July 1, 2025 7/1/2025

Ethnoracial Impact on Blood-Based Biomarker Detection of Alzheimer's in Primary Care Patients

Award Number: R00AG070390
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2026

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Ethnoracial Impact on Blood-Based Biomarker Detection of Alzheimer's in Primary Care Patients - Project Summary/Abstract If no preventative measures are developed, the number of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is expected to triple by 2050; many of whom will be members of a minority group. Ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease exist; however, these disparities are severely understudied, especially amongst African Americans. The consequent need for less invasive and more cost-effective tools to identify stages of AD at an earlier and perhaps more treatable time-point has fueled research into plasma biomarkers. Neural (NDEs) and astrocyte-derived exosomes (ADEs) have demonstrated biomarker potential for detecting stages of AD and predicting the conversion of MCI to AD. Although the field has been focused on NDEs and ADEs, there are surprisingly no published reports demonstrating the biomarker potential of microglial derived exosomes (MDEs). Any potential value of plasma exosome cargo to accurately identify stages of MCI and predict the conversion of MCI to AD, will require additional validation studies that specifically account for ethnic and racial differences amongst its patient cohorts. Understanding how ethnic and racial factors modify AD risk can yield new insights into race-dependent biological mechanisms, which in turn, can inform future diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. With the existing infrastructure at my home institution (UCSD), reagents and combined expertise of my mentor and collaborators, I will use a multidisciplinary approach to accomplish my research objectives. In the mentored phase of this proposal, I will be trained in unbiased, Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic profiling for novel biomarker identification. My mentored studies will also involve the purification and characterization of MDEs. Lastly, I will also use these samples to study the diagnostic and prognostic utility of ADE and MDE cargo proteins (e.g. Aβ and p-tau) to predict conversion of MCI to AD. During the independent phase, I will apply the methods and perspectives learned in the mentored phase of this application to cross-validate the biomarker potential of plasma exosomes in a live cohort of African American patients who are at risk for developing AD. Successful completion of this study will significantly advance the field of exosome biology in neurodegeneration and may lead to the identification of novel biological targets for therapeutic development of AD. The training and mentorship that I will receive because of this funding award will undoubtedly contribute to my productivity as an independent scientist. Moreover, the K99/R00 mechanism will provide with the support necessary to advance of establishing an NIH- R01 funded, independent laboratory where I plan to continue my studies in racial disparities, exosome biology and biomarker discovery.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $218,435 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Aging Research	001	4	5/29/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Aging Research	000	4	1/15/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$218,435
														Subtotal = $218,435

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $248,989 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Aging Research	000	3	3/7/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$248,989
														Subtotal = $248,989

Grand Total All Awards = $467,424

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Ethnoracial Impact on Blood-Based Biomarker Detection of Alzheimer's in Primary Care Patients

Award Number: R00AG070390

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2026

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