# 1/14 APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Clinical Center

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2024 · $107,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Recipients of a kidney transplant from an African-American deceased donor have worse outcomes than
their counterparts receiving an organ from a European-American deceased donor. In addition, kidney
transplants from deceased donors with two apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) high-risk genotypes, which is
almost exclusively found in individuals of recent African ancestry, have shorter survival. Some recipients of
these organs, however, have good long-term outcomes. Therefore, we hypothesize that APOL1 genes
interact with other environmental or inherited factors to cause accelerated failure of kidney transplants.
Similarly, living donors of recent African ancestry face increased risk of post-donation kidney failure
compared to European-American living donors, but the potential impact of APOL1 genotypes in these
donors is unclear. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the “APOL1 Long-term Kidney
Transplantation Outcomes” (APOLLO) U01 Consortium in 2017 to prospectively address several questions
regarding APOL1 genotyping in kidney transplantation. The APOLLO Consortium includes a Scientific and
Data Research Center and 13 Clinical Centers, including our University of Wisconsin Clinical Center. In the
proposed APOLLO Phase 2, we will collect extended long-term data on graft function, injury, and survival to
more comprehensively define outcomes associated with donor and recipient APOL1 genetic variants and
continue to recruit new living donors of African ancestry. Working with the SDRC, we will return APOL1
genotype results to enrolled transplant recipients and living donors. The data to be collected will define the
impact of genotypes on graft outcomes and living donors and identify secondary factors that modify
outcomes. These data are critical to improve allograft survival and quality of life for all transplant recipients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10917347
- **Project number:** 5U01DK116092-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Brad C Astor
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $107,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-25 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10917347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10917347, 1/14 APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Clinical Center (5U01DK116092-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10917347. Licensed CC0.

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