# 1/13 ApoL1 Genotypes in Kidney Donors and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients Clinical Center

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $133,334

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The kidney donor profile index (KDPI) incorporates factors known to affect allograft survival; among them,
African ethnicity is a variable considered to adversely affect graft outcome. Risk variants of Apoliproprotein L1
(APOL1) gene have been recently linked to chronic kidney disease in individuals of African ancestry.
Retrospective data suggest that the presence of two APOL1 risk variants in the donor can affect long-term
allograft outcomes. These data will need to be validated in prospective cohorts and studied in donors of African
ancestry, including the unique population of Latinos of African Descent which will be captured by our network
design (Florida/Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands). Aim 1 of this application will validate long-term graft outcomes
in recipients of organs from deceased and living donors of African descent carrying two APOL1 risk variants
when compared to less than two risk variants. Aim 2 will compare recipient outcomes between Latinos of
African Descent and Blacks (African Americans and African Caribbeans) as well as capture potential
interactions with donor-, recipient- and transplant-related “second hits”. Aim 3 will focus on the clinical
consequences of donation from individuals carrying two APOL1 risk variants and will develop translational
tools for the study of ApoL1 biology to be shared with the APOLLO Network and with the scientific community.
We have engaged a unique team of interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaborators which includes five
Organ Procurement Recovery Agencies as well as eight transplant centers serving Florida, Puerto Rico and
the US Virgin Islands along with UNOS support. In addition, we are collaborating with geneticists funded by a
NIH-U54 grant focused on genetic studies in diverse patient populations. To leverage our expertise, we have
engaged world renowned experts in the field of ApoL1 biology/genetics as well as our Clinical and
Translational Science Institute. These relationships along with our previous expertise in large multi-center
longitudinal cohorts, such as NEPTUNE and CureGN, will aid in the successful development of this study at a
national level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9975172
- **Project number:** 5U01DK116101-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** ALESSIA FORNONI
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $133,334
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-25 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9975172

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9975172, 1/13 ApoL1 Genotypes in Kidney Donors and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients Clinical Center (5U01DK116101-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9975172. Licensed CC0.

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