NIH Inclusion Across Lifespan-II Workshop 9/2/2020

The NIH Inclusion Across Lifespan-II Workshop is happening TOMORROW, starting at 11am Eastern. 

For more information, visit the IAL-II website; in addition, we’ve provided some key details and links below.

To participate tomorrow, click here: https://videocast.nih.gov/live.asp?live=38384&preview=1.

Pre-recorded overviews of topic areas from some of the workshop panel co-chairs here: https://go.usa.gov/xGqGE.

Here’s an overview of the topics that will be covered:

Topic Area 1: Inclusion/exclusion criteria

Panel co-chairs:

Summary:

The study population defined by the eligibility criteria should be representative of the population of people with the condition being studied. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be objective and written in clear, concise language, and investigators should provide a scientific justification for each criterion. The co-chairs will discuss this topic with specific considerations for the pediatric and older adult perspectives.

Topic Area 2: Study design and metrics

Panel co-chairs:

  • Jerry Gurwitz, M.D., University of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Peter Peduzzi, Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine

PLEASE NOTE: Topic area 2: Study design and metrics does not have pre-recorded videos to view.

Summary:

The study design and metrics of a clinical trial should be constructed in a way to be more inclusive across all ages, using input from the entire study population. Here we will examine challenges that investigators face when designing studies and how these challenges can impact clinical trials.

Topic Area 3: Recruitment, enrollment, and retention

Panel co-chairs:

Summary:

Ensuring appropriate representation of children and older adults in clinical trials goes beyond the inclusion criteria — additional consideration is needed to design effective methods to identify, enroll, and retain children and older adults in clinical studies and trials. The co-chairs will examine the pediatric and geriatric considerations for recruitment and retention with emphasis on special populations.

Topic Area 4: Data analysis and study interpretation

Panel co-chairs:

Summary:

Appropriate data analysis and interpretation is critical to the synthesis of trial evidence and its application in treating patients. This includes careful consideration of certain sub-populations in the analysis, including children and older adults. The study of specific sub-populations must be considered throughout the process, beginning with study design, and extending to data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. With increases in inclusion of children and older adults in clinical studies, it is critical to develop data analysis plans that ensure appropriate, relevant, and meaningful study conclusions.

COVID: Opportunities and Obstacles in Aging Research and Caregiving

Please join the Friends of the National Institute on Aging (FoNIA) and our distinguished panelists on Thursday, August 6, 2020, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, EDT for a webinar on COVID: Opportunities and Obstacles in Aging Research and Caregiving which will explore the nexus between the COVID-19 virus and older adults.  Register here. Specifically, our three panelists will discuss: 

  • What does data around COVID tells us about existing racial, economic and geographical health disparities;∙
  • How aging research can be more inclusive in light of COVID exposed disparities;
  • Opportunities to study care needs of older adults and their caregivers before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; and
  • How aging impacts the effectiveness of potential COVID treatments and vaccines.
Panelists:

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., PhD
Professor, Health Behavior and Society
Johns Hopkins University
 
Vicki A. Freedman, PhD
Research Professor, Institute for Social Research
Director, Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging
University of Michigan
 
Matt R. Kaeberlein, PhD
Professor, Department of Pathology
University of Washington

Register Here

NIA-supported research has shown that the APOE gene may play a role in the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s disease

NIA-supported research has shown that the APOE gene may play a role in the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s disease.  The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semi-permeable barrier which facilitates the selective entry of materials into the brain from the adjacent blood supply.  Prior studies suggest that the BBB breaks down in AD, and researchers in the current study wanted to understand if APOE genetic status might influence BBB breakdown.  245 participants were recruited to undergo a specific type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which can identify leakiness in the BBB.  Of the 245 participants, those who had one or more copies of the high-risk APOE ε4 allele showed increased breakdown of the BBB relative to those with two copies of the APOE ε3 allele.  In addition, the researchers also tracked damage to pericytes, or cells which help to maintain the BBB, and they saw that pericyte damage predicted cognitive decline and increased inflammatory activity in APOE ε4+ participants.  Notably, BBB breakdown appeared to occur independently from the accumulation of amyloid-beta and tau proteins, two known AD biomarkers, suggesting that it may be an independent contributor to cognitive decline, dementia, and AD.  This study was published in Nature.

NIA-funded research on the APOE gene suggests that the APOE ε2 allele may confer protection against Alzheimer’s disease

NIA-funded research on the APOE gene suggests that the APOE ε2 allele may confer protection against Alzheimer’s disease.  The APOE gene encompasses three different versions, or alleles: ε2, ε3, and ε4.  The ε2 allele is the rarest and is associated with decreased AD risk; the ε3 allele is the most common and appears to neither increase or decrease AD risk; and the less common ε4 allele is associated with increased AD risk.  Researchers in the current investigation aimed to clarify the precise role of APOE ε2 in AD risk.  They calculated risk estimates based on data from over 5,000 autopsy-confirmed AD cases and controls from the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC).  Of the 5,000+ cases, only 24 individuals had two copies of APOE ε2, but these individuals showed a 66% reduction in AD risk compared with ε2/ε3 carriers; an 87% risk reduction compared with ε3/ε3 carriers; and a 99% risk reduction compared with ε4/ε4 carriers.  In an additional ADGC sample, ε2/ε2 carriers again showed decreased AD risk.  These results point towards an opportunity to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which APOE ε2 lowers AD risk, which could in turn assist in the development of broader AD treatment and prevention strategies.  This study was published in Nature Communications.

New NIA Study Suggests Mutations in Mitochondrial DNA Could Give Rise to Age-Related Diseases

A new study from the NIA Intramural Research Program (IRP) suggests that mutations in mitochondrial DNA could give rise to age-related diseases.  Mitochondria, which create energy to power our cells and bodies, contain their own DNA.  IRP investigators sought to assess whether a specific type of mitochondrial DNA sequence known as a G-quadruplex could generate mutations in mitochondrial DNA.  These G-quadruplexes, or G4s, are complex four-strand DNA structures which are hypothesized to interfere with normal DNA synthesis due to their bulky structure, potentially leading to DNA mutations.  In order to test this hypothesis, the investigators first analyzed genomic data from two NIA-supported Italian studies, SardiNIA and InCHIANTI, and discovered that the G4 sequences contained a significant proportion of mitochondrial DNA mutations.  Follow-up laboratory tests showed that G4 sequences create these mutations by halting normal DNA synthesis.  Mitochondrial mutations, in turn, can disrupt normal cellular functioning and cause brain, nervous, cardiovascular, and muscular diseases, including those associated with aging.  This study was published in Human Molecular Genetics.