Publicly available biomedical data

The National Institute on Aging Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS) is a national data repository that facilitates access of genetic data to qualified investigators for the study of the genetics of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease (EOAD), late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). Collaborations with large consortia such as the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) allow NIAGADS to lead the effort in managing large AD genetic datasets that can be easily accessed by the research community. All data derived from NIA funded Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) genetic studies are expected to be deposited in NIAGADS or another NIA approved site.

Principal investigators can request DSS distributed data through the Data Access Request Management (DARM) system by logging in using their eRA Commons ID. Once an application is approved by the NIAGADS ADRD Data Access Committee (NADAC) and Data Use Committee (DUC), the data can be accessed through the Data Portal and downloaded directly or through Amazon EC2. Investigators must be permanent employees of their institution at a level equivalent to a full-time assistant, associate, or full professor senior scientist with responsibilities that most likely include laboratory administration and oversight. Laboratory staff and trainees such as graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are not permitted to submit project requests.

The Religious Orders Study is a collaborative study with Rush and other U.S. medical centers. It involves more than 1,100 older religious clergy (nuns, priests and brothers) who have agreed to medical and psychological evaluation each year and brain donation after death. Researchers are using information from the study to discover what changes in the brain are responsible for memory and movement problems. The study also looks closely at the transition from normal functioning of the aging brain to the mild cognitive impairment that can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Single-Cell RNA-Seq database for Alzheimer’s Disease (scREAD) dedicates to management of all the existing scRNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq data sets from the human postmortem brain tissue with AD and mouse models with AD pathology. It provides comprehensive analysis results for 73 data sets from 10 brain regions. These data sets include various types of data, such as control atlas construction, cell-type prediction,identification of differentially expressed genes, and identification of cell-type-specific regulons.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC) is a collaborative effort that brings together researchers from multiple institutions to study the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. The primary goal of ADGC is to identify and understand genetic factors that contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. By analyzing large-scale genomic data, ADGC aims to uncover genetic variants and mutations associated with the disease, which can lead to a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms and potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

The ADGC will provide the most recent and most comprehensive data available. The data sets available are listed on the ADGC Web site (link). These data are QC’ed by members of the ADGC-AC using a uniform process. As noted in the list of cohorts posted on the ADGC web site, some datasets require permission of the PI who contributed the dataset, and it is the responsibility of the SAG PI to seek permission from those PIs to use their data. If requested, imputed data will be provided using the most recent and largest imputation panel (e.g. TOPMed). A minimum phenotype dataset will be provided. If additional phenotypes are needed, the ADGC will work with the investigator to identify and acquire the needed data.