Top 3 grants in regenerative medicine: July 2023
This month’s top grants in regenerative medicine, sourced from Dimensions, include projects on extracellular vesicles for regenerative aortic aneurysm repair, an autologous cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s Disease and promoting endothelial regeneration and vascular repair after inflammatory lung injury.
Promoting endothelial regeneration and vascular repair after inflammatory lung injury
Following sepsis-induced acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, the lungs need to repair their blood vessels, and this process relies on the growth and regeneration of lung endothelial cells (ECs). However, the specific pathways that control lung EC growth and regeneration after sepsis are not well understood.
Based on previous studies, it has been hypothesized that the protein Uqcrq plays a vital role in promoting the growth and regeneration of lung ECs, which in turn leads to post-sepsis vascular repair. The present research will investigate the mechanisms by which Uqcrq promotes lung EC growth in both mice and human lung cells with the aim of uncovering a new and effective treatment strategy for patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Funding amount: US$300,000
Funding period: 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2026
Funder: American Heart Association (AHA)
Research organization: Lurie Children’s Hospital, United States
An autologous cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s Disease
Current treatment options for Parkinson’s Disease focus on improving symptoms by increasing dopamine production from nigrostriatal neurons, however, they do not address the degeneration of these cells. This research proposes an approach for replacing these degenerating neurons with autologous iPSC-derived dopaminergic progenitor cells. If this cell replacement therapy is successful, the standard of care and prognosis could both be significantly improved for Parkinson’s disease patients.
Funding amount: US$3,841,110
Funding period: 1 August 2023 – 31 January 2026
Funder: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
Research organization: BrainXell Therapeutics
Extracellular vesicles for regenerative aortic aneurysm repair
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are enlargements of the abdominal aorta caused by enzymatic disruption of the extracellular matrix in the vessel wall. This project’s aim is to explore adult stem cell-secreted extracellular vesicles as a novel treatment option for AAAs. The research aims to address the problem of poor elastic fiber formation and repair in the blood vessel wall, which is a key challenge in treating AAAs. These EVs have shown promise in previous studies for their ability to stimulate elastic matrix regeneration in vitro and to promote the regression of small AAAs in a rat model.
If successful, this study could lead to a new and non-invasive regenerative therapy for stabilizing small AAAs and preventing them from growing and causing rupture, potentially offering an alternative to surgery.
Funding amount: US$300,000
Funding period: 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2026
Funder: American Heart Association (AHA)
Research organization: Lehigh University, United States
