Award Data

PROJECT SUMMARY 21MedTech, LLC is developing the ARRAYTM antibiotic-loaded envelope to address the need for novel methods to tackle rising rates of infections associated with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). There were 1.5 million CIEDs implanted in 2011 and that number continues to grow. Between 1% and 4% of implantations result in infection, which have potential for severe ...

PROJECT SUMMARYMonoubiquitination (Ub) of histones is an important post-translational modification (PTM) that regulates multiple DNA-related processes including DNA replication, transcription, and repair. Aberrant regulation of histone Ub is strongly linked to the pathogenesis of diverse diseases, including cancer, aging, and inflammation. However, the ability to map the distribution and dynamics ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide at 3.23 million (2019), while nearly 400 million suffer its effects. COPD is a heterogeneous, multi-phenotypic disease with lung damage derived from smoking, vaping, cooking, forest fires, pollution, chemical exposure, and numerous occupational hazards (e.g., 1st responders, military, agricul ...

PROJECT SUMMARYHistone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are some of the most widely studied epigenomic factors, and alterations in histone PTM abundance / distribution have been implicated in numerous disease etiologies. Epigenomic mapping of histone PTMs in limited cell populations or single cells (SCs) would provide the opportunity to study the epigenetic landscape of rare and heterogenou ...

Project SummaryIntracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture is the primary cause of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, a catastrophic event that carries high rates of mortality (rt50%) and permanent disability (rt50% among survivors). When an unruptured IA is discovered, clinicians face the difficult decision of whether or not it should be treated. Since rupture rates are low (risk of rupture ~ 0.5-1% p ...

Development of radiation medical countermeasures (MCM) has become a national security priority owing to such threats as radiological dispersal devices (i.e., “dirty bomb”) and nuclear accidents, which may be caused by extreme weather (such as occurred in Fukushima, Japan in 2011). Radiation exposure can be potentially lethal via the hematopoietic-acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) and the gastro ...

Project Summary/Abstract In the US, about 1.7 million Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAls) occur in hospitals each year, resulting in 99,000 deaths and an estimated $20 billion in healthcare costs. According to previous reports, as much as one third of HAI cases can be attributed to environmental surfaces, namely “high touch” surfaces (e.g., bed rails, machine buttons, equipment), in hospit ...

SUMMARY Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Most AMD cases are the nonexudative (or “dry”) form, which affects up to 200 million patients globally and is comprised of intermediate dry AMD, characterized by formation of sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) deposits called drusen, and geographic atrophy (GA), more advanced disease characte ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that impacts 44 million people globally. It is the most common cause of dementia—accounting for 80% of all dementia diagnoses—and predominantly affects older people. To date, AD has no cure. Thus, it is imperative to diagnose patients as early as possible to maximize the efficacy of symptom management stra ...

The cornea, the outermost window of our visual system, is vulnerable to various types of infections and diseases. Corneal disease is one of the leading causes of visual deficiency and blindness, and is considered the second major cause of blindness in developing countries. There are nearly 5 million bilaterally corneal blind persons worldwide, and an estimated 23 million people affected by unilate ...