Biomarker Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY – Biomarker Core The overarching goal of the UCD ADRC is to understand the multiple and complex determinants that explain heterogeneity of cognitive trajectories and progression to dementia among a cohort of diverse older adults. In line with this goal, our study subjects form a diverse multi-ethnic/racial longitudinal cohort. To be able to offer disease-modifying interventions in the subject’s lifetime, a precise and dynamic biological definition of the subject’s disease trajectory is essential. It requires a comprehensive biomarker assessment of both AD pathology and non-AD specific brain injury that may contribute to and modify the trajectories of cognitive decline. This task is particularly critical when faced with mixed pathological processes manifested by subjects of diverse backgrounds. To meet this challenge, the UC Davis ADRC launched a biorepository in 2014 to collect blood specimens and establish standard operation procedures. We have since grown substantially in expertise and sample collection via continuous funding through several NIA- and Alzheimer’s Association- funded blood biomarker, clinical trial, and epidemiological projects, as well as participation in national programs such as MarkVCID, ADNI, NCRAD, and AD Metabolomic Consortium. Currently we have deposited thousands of blood specimens (serum, plasma, DNA, and RNA) from 1279 subjects in our ADRC Longitudinal Cohort; hundreds of them have given longitudinal samples. We have also collected saliva and blood samples from hundreds of subjects participating in ADRC-affiliated clinical trials and epidemiological projects such as the Life After 90 Study. Sample categorization, inventory, tracking, and retrieval are conducted by the barcode-based OpenSpecimen network software, which is further integrated into the ADRC Web-based interface. Moreover, we have established expertise in ultra-sensitive protein biomarker analysis using SiMoA technology, and built a broad multi-omics platform for collaboration by providing expertise and resources for emerging omics technology including glycomics, glycoproteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics. In this ADRC application, we will formally establish the Biomarker Core (BC), which will accomplish the following four specific aims: Aim 1 – to expand the repository of high-quality samples from diverse populations; Aim 2 – to quantify and integrate essential and emerging blood biomarkers to support diagnostics and theragnostics efforts of ADRC; Aim 3 – to provide infrastructure to support novel biomarker discovery, clinical trials, and UCD ADRC-affiliated clinical and epidemiological projects; and Aim 4 – to extend our existing robust and cost-efficient systems for sharing data and specimens broadly with the research community to support innovative research and career development. We believe the deposited data and specimens from our diverse multi-ethnic/racial longitudinal cohort will constitute a unique, readily sharable resource to enable cognitive stage-dependent analyses of inter-related biomarkers in data- and hypothesis-driven studies. Our expertise in SiMoA, glycomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics will help investigators nationwide to advance into new frontiers of biomarker discovery.