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Nature Scientific Data

Genetic and multi-omic resources for Alzheimer disease and related dementia from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center

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  • July 12, 2024
  • Carlos Cruchaga, et al. | Washington University St. Louis
Topic/Product:
CNS Disease Panel 120, Neurology
Disease Area:
Alzheimer's Disease
Sample Type:
CSF

Abstract

The Knight-Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight-ADRC) at Washington University in St. Louis has pioneered and led worldwide seminal studies that have expanded our clinical, social, pathological, and molecular understanding of Alzheimer Disease. Over more than 40 years, research volunteers have been recruited to participate in cognitive, neuropsychologic, imaging, fluid biomarkers, genomic and multi-omic studies. Tissue and longitudinal data collected to foster, facilitate, and support research on dementia and aging. The Genetics and high throughput –omics core (GHTO) have collected of more than 26,000 biological samples from 6,625 Knight-ADRC participants. Samples available include longitudinal DNA, RNA, non-fasted plasma, cerebrospinal fluid pellets, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The GHTO has performed deep molecular profiling (genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic) from large number of brain (n = 2,117), CSF (n = 2,012) and blood/plasma (n = 8,265) samples with the goal of identifying novel risk and protective variants, identify novel molecular biomarkers and causal and druggable targets. Overall, the resources available at GHTO support the increase of our understanding of Alzheimer Disease.

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Authors & Affiliations

Maria Victoria Fernandez 1,2,3, Menghan Liu 1,2, Aleksandra Beric 1,2, Matt Johnson 1,2,
Arda Cetin 1,2, Maulik Patel 1,2, John Budde 1,2, Pat Kohlfeld 1,2, Kristy Bergmann 1,2,
Joseph Lowery 1,2, Allison Flynn 1,2, William Brock1,2, Brenda Sanchez Montejo 1,2,
JenGentsch 1,2, Nicholas Sykora 1,2, Joanne Norton1,2, JenGentsch1,2, OlgaValdez 1,2,
PriyankaGorijala 1,2, Jessie Sanford 1,2, Yichen Sun1,2, CiyangWang1,2, Dan Western 1,2,
JigyashaTimsina 1,2, Tassia Mangetti Goncalves 4, Anh N. Do 1,2,5, Yun Ju Sung 1,2,
Guoyan Zhao 4,6,7, John C. Morris 6,8, Krista Moulder 6,8, David M. Holtzman 6,8,9,
Randall J. Bateman 6,8,9,10, Celeste Karch 1,8,9,10, Jason Hassenstab 6,8, Chengjie Xiong 5,6,8,10,
Suzanne E. Schindler 6,8, Joyce (Joy) Balls-Berry6,8, Tammie L. S. Benzinger 6,8,10,11,
Richard J. Perrin 7,8,10, Andrea Denny 6,8, B. JoySnider6,8,9, Susan L. Stark 8,12,
Laura Ibanez 1,2,6,10,13  & Carlos Cruchaga 1,2,4,6,8,9,10,13

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
  2. NeuroGenomics and
    Informatics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
  3. Research Center and
    Memory Clinic, ACE Alzheimer Center, Barcelona, Spain.
  4. Department of Genetics, Washington University School of
    Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
  5. Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO,
    63110, USA.
  6. Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
  7. Pathology and Immunology Department, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
  8. Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
  9. Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
  10. Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease Network (DIAN), St. Louis, USA.
  11. Radiology Department, Washington University
    School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
  12. Occupational Therapy, Neurology and Social Work, St. Louis,
    USA.
  13. These authors jointly supervised this work: Laura Ibanez, Carlos Cruchaga.
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Steve Williams, MD, PhD

CSO

Dr. Willams serves as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer. He was previously Chief Medical Officer at Standard Biotools and at SomaLogic where he pioneered the discipline for discovery and validation of predictive, diagnostic and prognostic models using machine-learning applied to large-plex proteomics. 20 such tests were used for drug characterization, safety and efficacy when incorporated in clinical drug trials at Pharma/Biotech and 17 different multivariate tests were validated and translated into regulated healthcare uses. Prior to SomaLogic, Dr. Williams was at Pfizer in the UK and the USA as a clinical triallist in Translational Medicine, and subsequently as VP, Global Clinical Technology. He sat on the National Advisory Council for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the Executive Committee for the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium, and worked with FDA and PhRMA on developing evidentiary standards for biomarker qualification. Dr. William’s medical training was in London, at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, followed by a PhD in medicine/physiology at the same institution and training in Radiology at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Steve is co-inventor on 26 proteomics patents and author/coauthor on multiple foundational proteomics manuscripts.

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Justin McAnear

CFO

Mr. McAnear serves as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. He brings over 25 years of operational and financial leadership experience across various sectors and was instrumental in taking 10x Genomics public in 2019, serving as its CFO for over five years. Mr. McAnear served for over 3 years as Tesla’s VP of Worldwide Finance and Operations, supporting landmark initiatives such as the Model X and Model 3 launches and Solar City acquisition.  He also held various roles at Apple and J&J earlier in his career and served as a naval officer and aviator for over 9 years.