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Specific Epigenetic Molecules Involved in Wound Healing and Repair

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W81XWH-11-C-0480
Agency Tracking Number: A11A-030-0459
Amount: $99,999.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: A11a-T030
Solicitation Number: 2011.A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2011
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-10-03
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 100
Ithaca, NY -
United States
DUNS: 022552900
HUBZone Owned: Yes
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Kathie Berghorn
 Staff Scientist
 (607) 272-0002
 kberghorn@agavebio.com
Business Contact
 Noe Salazar
Title: President
Phone: (512) 373-8601
Email: nsalazar@agavebio.com
Research Institution
 Rutgers University
 Diane Ambrose
 
Office of Research and Sponsor 675 Hoes Lane, Rm. R109
Piscataway, NJ 08854-5635
United States

 (732) 418-8464
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

The ability to direct the wound pathways following injury could provide a critical path in wound care at crucial times during the progression of healing. A promising field of study in wound healing is epigenetics; alterations in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in DNA sequence. Identification of epigenetic factors and their manipulation may result in the development of novel therapies that enhance wound recovery as well as diagnostic tests that assess the progress of wound repair. In this Phase I, Agave BioSystems, in collaboration with Dr. Vincenzo Pirrotta of Rutgers University, proposes to characterize the role of Polycomb Group (PcG) complexes during the wound healing process and manipulate PcG repression to accelerate wound healing. PcG complexes are known to regulate multiple genes involved in keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation during wound healing. We anticipate that PcG repression may have different effects at different stages in the healing process. While derepression might be advantageous to express genes that promote healing, it is known that PcG repression of other genes is required for cell proliferation that is also essential for wound healing. Therefore, the specific PcG targets and timing of PcG derepression are important and may require a two-stage treatment.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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