The big picture: A $21.6 million NIH-funded study at University of Utah Health is examining how blood pressure management may influence dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and it starts in a freezer-filled biorepository at the University of Utah.
What’s happening: Nearly 40,000 frozen serum samples from the 2015 SPRINT trial are being carefully prepared for shipment to Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Arizona, where they’ll be analyzed using cutting-edge blood-based biomarkers.
Why it matters: This research could reveal critical insights into how hypertension affects brain health, potentially informing prevention strategies for millions of Americans at risk for cognitive decline.
The process:
- Six full freezers were shipped to the University of Utah about two years ago specifically for the SPRINT study
- Each sample contains approximately 500 microliters of serum, the yellowish liquid that remains after blood is drawn and spun down
- Samples must remain frozen at minus 80 degrees Celsius to preserve protein integrity
- The extraction process will take about six months due to the meticulous care required
Between the lines: “You have to be really careful, really slow, really deliberate. Make no mistakes. Make sure you’re pulling the right patient sample,” says Dr. Colin Maguire, Director of Operations for the Cellular Translational Research Core.
What’s next: The team aims to complete sample shipment and analysis by early 2027. The full study is expected to last five years.
The bottom line: Every frozen vial represents a piece of the puzzle in understanding the connection between blood pressure and brain health, handled with precision and care to ensure the science can deliver answers.