# VA Biorepository Brain Bank

> **NIH VA I01** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult onset, rapidly fatal, neurodegenerative disease of unknown
etiology. Studies have indicated a higher prevalence of ALS among veterans than among civilians, and in
2008, ALS was declared a fully compensable condition by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA
funds research projects such as the VA Biorepository Brain Bank (VABBB) to support ALS research and
improve clinical care. Establishing large national cohorts essential for ALS research is limited by the low
prevalence (6-8 cases per 100,000) and short survival time (3-5 years) of persons with ALS (PALS). This is
particularly true for efforts to develop biorepositories that collect central nervous system (CNS) tissue samples
annotated with clinical information essential to biomedical ALS research. Although a number of mouse models
have been developed to study ALS, these models are limited and the need for research quality human CNS
tissue for genomic and proteomic research in ALS is critical. The VABBB is presently the only national
prospective cohort study and CNS tissue bank in the U.S. that is enrolling and conducting ongoing follow-up on
veterans with ALS. The VABBB is a multi-site collaboration among VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS)
and the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System (SAVAHCS). The VABBB utilizes the strengths across the
Boston and Tucson sites in enrollment, assessment, tissue banking operations, neuropathological diagnosis,
medical informatics and data management. The VABBB cohort is notable for its size (over 300 PALS), the
amount and quality of CNS tissue and clinical data available, and especially for the relatively long duration and
slow disease progression in this unique cohort. Tissue and clinical data from the VABBB are available for
international distribution to qualified researchers. In this application, we seek to further our support of cutting
edge ALS research and enhance the value of VA’s investment in the VABBB. Over the next four years our
specific aims are: 1) To continue and further enhance the VABBB as the nation’s only national prospective
cohort study and central nervous system (CNS) tissue/biofluid bank supporting international ALS research; 2)
Leverage the resources and staffing of the VABBB to conduct new state-of-the-art genetic, biomarker,
environmental exposure and neuropathological analyses on banked biofluid and tissue samples; and 3) To
provide a state-of-the-art characterization of cognitive and behavioral dysfunction in our cohort to support
research on the pathophysiology and clinical management of ALS. Specific Aim 1 will involve 1) generation of
a larger and more diverse CNS tissue collection from Veteran PALS along with spousal and Veteran controls;
2) enhanced antemortem assessment of enrollees and postmortem biofluid and tissue collection and analyses;
and 3) development of an international outreach program to promote the use of our tissue and data by ALS
researchers. In Specific ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9898266
- **Project number:** 5I01BX002466-07
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher B Brady
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-01-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9898266

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9898266, VA Biorepository Brain Bank (5I01BX002466-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9898266. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*