# Wake Forest APOLLO Scientific and Data Research Center

> **NIH NIH U01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $50,000

## Abstract

The NIH APOL1 Long-term Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Collaborative U01 will perform a
national prospective evaluation of donor and recipient APOL1 renal-risk variants in all US kidney transplants
from African American kidney donors to determine their effect on transplant outcomes. In addition, the post-
donation health and kidney function of African American living kidney donors will be assessed. We are
applying to be the APOLLO Scientific and Data Research Center (SDRC) for this NIH Funding Announcement.
Shorter renal allograft survival is observed for transplantations from deceased African American kidney donors,
relative to deceased European American kidney donors. Reasons for this are unknown, but retrospective
reports suggest that presence of two apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) renal-risk variants in kidney donors may
contribute to the disparity. These variants are common in populations with recent African ancestry (such as
African Americans), where they are strongly associated with non-diabetic end-stage kidney disease, but rare in
other racial/ethnic groups. APOL1 genotype data may provide more accurate assessment of the likelihood for
long-term renal allograft function in donor kidneys, thereby improving the matching of donor kidneys with
potential recipients in order to optimize renal allograft and patient survival. This information may better inform
physicians about organ quality prior to decisions on allocation are made and regarding the safety of living
kidney donation. Before this genotypic data can be used clinically, a prospective national study is required to
evaluate all kidney transplantation outcomes from African American donors and recipients of their kidneys
based on APOL1 genotypes. Information lacking from retrospective studies needs to be collected, including
recipient APOL1 genotypes, renal histologic data in failed allografts and presence or development of BK viral
infections, donor specific antibodies, and acute rejections after kidney transplantation. We will perform the
following activities for the APOLLO Network: overall study coordination, assist with preparation of the final
protocol and Manual of Procedures, develop data tracking tools and the study website, collect and archive
clinical and outcomes data, perform genotyping, statistical analyses, assessment of the primary outcome “time
to allograft failure in transplanted kidneys from African American donors, based on donor APOL1 genotypes”
and create a bio-repository. We will longitudinally assess vital status, kidney function and proteinuria in living
African American kidney donors based on APOL1 genotypes. Prospective assessment of the effects of kidney
donor APOL1 genotypes on serum creatinine concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and
proteinuria in transplant recipients with functioning allografts will also be performed. Results have the potential
to transform the organ allocation and informed consent processes in kidney transplanta...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9975002
- **Project number:** 5U01DK116041-04
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** DONALD W BOWDEN
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $50,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-25 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9975002

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9975002, Wake Forest APOLLO Scientific and Data Research Center (5U01DK116041-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9975002. Licensed CC0.

---

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