Neuropathology Core

The interpretation of results from clinical trials and other human studies focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRDs) critically depends on accurate diagnoses, which currently can only be made by a thorough postmortem examination. Furthermore, understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving the pathogenesis of AD/ADRDs requires brain tissue, typically obtainable only after death. Studies using human brain tissue, along with other breakthroughs such as the identification of gene variants promoting AD/ADRD pathogenesis, increasingly suggest that multiple pathways lead to the pathogenesis of AD, not only in high-risk groups, such as individuals living with Down syndrome, but also in the larger population with sporadic AD. Defining these pathways is essential for developing precision medicine approaches to treating AD and ADRDs.

The Neuropathology Core will contribute to the SC-ADRC through ongoing postmortem examinations, accurate neuropathologic diagnoses, and biospecimen banking. The CCNL will aid AD/ADRD investigators by distributing carefully curated biospecimens and iPSCs, along with offering expertise in histology, neuropathology, and advanced microscopy techniques. This positions the Neuropathology Core as a vital resource for the ADRC network and national research efforts.

  • The CCNL will perform postmortem examinations on participants enrolled through the Clinical Core, DSBC participants, and members of the lay public. We will report our findings to family members, investigators working with our participants, the SC-ADRC database maintained by the Data Management and Statistical (DMS) Core, and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC). In collaboration with the Cellular and Molecular Biomarker Core, we will perform biomarker testing and whole-genome sequencing on CCNL biospecimens. We will provide diagnostic findings to the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core and the University of South Carolina AD Registry to support ongoing AD/ADRD epidemiology studies. Working with the Research Education Component, we will use CCNL data and expertise to educate medical students, residents, neuropathology/neurology fellows, clinicians, and investigators on the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases.

  • A strong area of innovation is our collective partnership with the RHJVAMC, which the SC-ADRC has a strong relationship with. The RHJVAMC provides comprehensive care to veterans along the SC and Georgia coasts and has a high-volume of VA- and NIH-funded research. This partnership will provide strong support for the SC-ADRC and our focus on veteran populations–a group which is at greater risk for AD/ADRD.

  • The CCNL will serve as a key resource for the SC-ADRC, national ADRC network, NACC, NCRAD, and Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium. Our team has decades of experience in the pathology of human neurodegenerative diseases, biobanking, advanced microscopy techniques, and genetically engineered mouse models, which will ensure the success of the SC-ADRC and the AD/ADRD investigators we support.

Neuropathology Core Leadership

Steven Carroll, MD, PhD
Core Director
Medical University of South Carolina