In a significant leap forward for Alzheimer’s disease research, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is playing a pivotal role in a groundbreaking, five-year initiative aimed at overcoming one of the field’s most persistent challenges: data standardization. The ReCARDO project, an ambitious undertaking involving ten leading research institutions, seeks to unify vast quantities of health information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, transforming disparate data into a common language that can accelerate global scientific discovery.
The Critical Roadblock in Alzheimer’s Research
The fight against Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition affecting millions, has been hampered for years by an inability to effectively compare and combine data collected by different research groups. This lack of standardization means that valuable insights remain siloed, hindering the progress of meta-analysis, which is crucial for identifying overarching trends, causes, prevention strategies, and potential cures. George Perry, Semmes Foundation Endowed Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology at UT San Antonio, articulated this problem clearly: “We have an abundance of valuable data, but it’s all recorded in different languages. If you go to one database, it’s collected in a different way versus another one, making it hard to compare the two.”
ReCARDO: Building a Universal Data Language
To tackle this, the ReCARDO project, an acronym for “Using Real-World Data to Derive Common Data Elements for Alzheimer’s Disease and AD-Related Dementias Research Through Ontological Innovation,” is developing a universal set of Common Data Elements (CDEs). These CDEs will function as a standardized, universal dictionary, enabling scientists worldwide to seamlessly integrate, compare, and validate data from diverse sources. The initiative leverages advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing, to analyze real-world data derived from electronic health records, insurance claims, and even wearable devices. This comprehensive approach aims to provide a clearer, more complete picture of how Alzheimer’s disease progresses at a population level and to identify which treatments are truly effective.
A Powerful Consortium of Institutions
The ReCARDO initiative is a testament to collaborative science, uniting expertise from ten premier academic institutions across the United States. UTHealth Houston serves as the central hub for this massive data network, having received a substantial $27.2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, to lead the effort. The consortium includes prominent institutions such as Vanderbilt University, Mayo Clinic, Rush University, the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University, the University of Washington, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Florida, alongside UT San Antonio.
Key principal investigators driving this project from UTHealth Houston include GQ Zhang, PhD, vice president and chief data scientist; Hongfang Liu, PhD, vice president of learning health system; and Licong Cui, PhD, associate professor at the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics. Leading the UT San Antonio team is George Perry, PhD, a distinguished researcher in Alzheimer’s, alongside Germán Plascencia-Villa and Morgan McCrea. Other institutional leads include Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD (Mayo Clinic), Zoe Arvanitakis, MD, MS (Rush University), and Yong Chen, PhD (University of Pennsylvania), among others.
Accelerating Discovery and a Future of Hope
The implications of ReCARDO are profound. By creating an interoperable and standardized data ecosystem, researchers will gain the ability to conduct novel, longitudinal studies, sort through complex datasets, and extract critical information more efficiently than ever before. This synergy is expected to significantly expedite the discovery of the disease’s causes, lead to more effective prevention strategies, and pave the way for the development of life-changing treatments. The project anticipates launching a public resource, the ReCARDO Web Portal, later this year, offering global researchers access to the data and tools developed through this initiative.
Alzheimer’s disease currently affects over 7 million Americans aged 65 and older, a number projected to rise sharply. The high failure rate of drug development in this field underscores the urgent need for innovative approaches. This cutting-edge news from Texas highlights a critical shift towards data-driven collaboration as a top strategy to combat this devastating disease. The ReCARDO project represents a monumental step towards a future where breakthroughs in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s are not a distant dream but an achievable reality, driven by the collective power of standardized, accessible data.
UT San Antonio’s Leading Role in Neurobiology
Dr. George Perry, a highly cited researcher with over 1,000 publications and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, brings extensive expertise to the ReCARDO initiative. His groundbreaking work has illuminated the role of oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative diseases, identifying oxidative damage and its sources. His research at UT San Antonio, which also includes a distinguished neurobiology chair and a role at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, positions the university as a key player in this complex scientific landscape. UT Health San Antonio’s broader commitment to Alzheimer’s research, including its NIA-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, further solidifies Texas’s standing as a leader in the fight against this global health crisis.
