# Proteomic aging clock and brain structure, cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimers Disease and related dementias

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2022 · $400,146

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
To assess biological aging before clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer's-disease-
related dementias (ADRD), we will create and validate proteomic aging clocks (PACs) in the prospective
population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in the Community (ARIC) cohort. The blood proteomics measures have
been collected three times over 20 years of follow-up using highly sensitive SomaScan assay. PACs are easily
measured, can accurately predict the aging process, and are associated with age-related diseases and
mortality. Our main objectives are to create and validate PACs in AD/ADRD-free participants and test whether
these PACs predict risk of ADRD, cognitive decline and structural abnormalities visible in brain imaging such
as parenchymal loss, white matter hyperintensities, and small infarcts. We will assess two published PACs and
create two new PACs: (1) PAC based on the association with chronological age in AD/ADRD-free persons of
mixed age, and (2) PAC based on the change in protein levels between midlife and late-life (Aim 1). Further,
we will test whether higher PAC value (independent of chronological age) and higher intra-individual difference
in the PAC values from midlife to late-life are associated with higher risk of AD/ADRD (Aim 2), and with decline
in cognitive function and with structural abnormalities visible in brain imaging in late-life (Aim 3). All the
associations will be stratified by sex and race. The use of existing ARIC data will allow for quick and cost-
efficient testing of our hypotheses. The quantification of PAC and clarification of its relations with AD/ADRD are
essential for understanding the role of aging in the pathobiology of this disease, identifying individuals at high
risk, and efficiently delivering personalized prevention/treatment via lifestyle change and anti-aging therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10524658
- **Project number:** 1R21AG079242-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna Prizment
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $400,146
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10524658

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10524658, Proteomic aging clock and brain structure, cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimers Disease and related dementias (1R21AG079242-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10524658. Licensed CC0.

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