Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Award Details: National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Aging Research Program (CFDA 93.866) | $1,343,997 | Award Date: March 1, 2026 | Performance Period: March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2031

Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Drug Discovery will generate tool compounds and chemical probes targeting putative Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias therapeutic targets using DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) integrated with machine learning (ML) methodologies. The project encompasses three primary deliverables: (1) DEL screening against dozens of AD/ADRD targets, with public release of the OpenDEL library (907 million chemical structures), selection input/output datasets, synthesized and validated hits, and optimized tool compounds; (2) in-depth hit-to-lead optimization for select targets chosen in consultation with a Target Advisory Board; and (3) development of DEL-ML predictive models trained on selection datasets to identify candidate binders in virtual re-purposing libraries of Phase I investigational drugs, with biochemical validation and potential fast-track advancement to animal and clinical testing.

The project emphasizes scientific resource-sharing and collaborative advancement of AD drug discovery through public release of compounds, datasets, and trained ML models, positioning the outputs to accelerate methodology development and therapeutic candidate identification across the research and development community. The five-year initiative combines the institution's pre-existing DEL capabilities with computational approaches to identify novel therapeutics while simultaneously enabling broader access to integrated chemical and machine learning tools for AD/ADRD research.