ADRC GWAS supplement: An NCRAD initiative.

Abstract

In collaboration with the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD) sends DNA from Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC) subjects for Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS); however, only a subset of ADRC subjects have been assayed. NCRAD has initiated an effort to supplement this initiative, as well as generate GWAS for targeted additional studies. NCRAD sends DNA to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Center for Applied Genomics (CAG). CHOP performs GWAS using the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array BeadChip v2.0 (Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA). Genotype data is processed using the same pipeline as the ADGC GWAS. Data for ADRC subjects will be returned to the contributing ADRC, and all GWAS data will be posted at The National Institute on Aging Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS), available for download by approved researchers. NCRAD is also creating online catalogues with demographic and clinical data for access by approved researchers, which can be used in conjunction with the GWAS data for research. To date, NCRAD has sent 4,910 non-ADGC ADRC samples with the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set to CHOP for GWAS; genotyping is complete and data has been transferred to NIAGADS for processing. Additionally, NCRAD shipped 1,655 samples from the Amyloid Neuroimaging and Genetics Initiative (ANGI), and 275 samples for the 90+ Study; genotyping is complete for both studies and data has been transferred to NIAGADS. NCRAD will also send samples from the Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) for GWAS this spring, with the future goal that all LEADS subjects will have GWAS data available. NCRAD is completing online catalogues with demographic and clinical data for ANGI and the 90+ study. NCRAD has made a significant contribution to expand the focus and scope of AD genetics research by supplementing the ADRC GWAS cohort, as well as providing GWAS for several unique and high impact studies. We anticipate that our continued efforts will bolster current resources, supporting the goal to identify new loci associated with early and late onset AD.