# Characterizing the AD Metabolome in Brain Tissue Samples of Individuals from Diverse Populations

> **NIH NIH U01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $1,255,605

## Abstract

A key limitation of our previous work and AD research in general is the predominant reliance of samples from
participants of Caucasian ancestry. While metabolomics studies of AD in Caucasian cohorts have provided us
with a large body of findings and leads relevant to drug discovery and development, there are currently no large-
scale metabolomics studies of brain tissue available in diverse populations. This significantly hampers our ability
to assess generalizability of findings across these populations or to identify pathways and molecules that are
shared as well as those that may be population-specific. This is, however, of greatest importance, as contribution
and types of genetic and environmental risk factors for and co-morbidities with AD may be distinct in diverse
populations. For example, increased cardiovascular risk is thought to play an important role in the increased
prevalence of AD in African Americans (AA) compared to whites. Given the strong metabolic underpinnings of
cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health, there may be opportunities to uncover novel disease pathways and
gene x environment (GxE) interactions in this population: the socioeconomic milieu is likely to be different in
diverse populations compared to whites, thereby raising the possibility to discover novel metabolic changes
influenced by distinct environments. To ensure success in early diagnosis, patient-stratification for clinical trials
(and ultimately therapies), patient-target matching, clinical predictions based on biomarker profiling in a
precision-medicine paradigm, we need to have complete knowledge on the metabolic, clinical and biomarker
profiles of diverse populations, as well as Caucasians. This supplement aims to overcome this data- and
knowledge-gap by generating large-scale metabolomics data using brain samples from AA and Latin American
(LA) individuals, harnessing the power of multiple cohorts with ethnically diverse participants collected as part of
the AMP-AD initiative. This is expected to expand the biochemical knowledge on metabolic failures in AD to
include those relevant to these minority populations. By working with our AMP-AD partners, we will systematically
address contributions of racial differences on metabolic aspects of brain health across the AD continuum to
discover pathways and molecules linked to AD pathogenesis in these populations with elevated AD risk. Through
comparing and contrasting this data to our large database of metabolomic signatures of AD in Caucasians, we
aim to provide biochemical insights about mechanisms and sub-classes of disease that are common and specific
to certain populations. Finally, via integrating study outcomes into our AD Atlas, we further aim to annotate AMP-
AD candidate targets with respect to population relevance. All data generated through this supplement will be
shared in real time with the research community through deposition in the AD Knowledge Portal. Successful
completion of this project wi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10659891
- **Project number:** 3U01AG061359-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Rima F Kaddurah-Daouk
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,255,605
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10659891

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10659891, Characterizing the AD Metabolome in Brain Tissue Samples of Individuals from Diverse Populations (3U01AG061359-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10659891. Licensed CC0.

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