Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Activation of mature T lymphocytes is a multi-step process requiring both Ag-specific triggering of the TCR complex and co-stimulation mediated through the CD28-CD80/CD86 pathway. CTLA-4 is a critical inhibitor of T cell activation as evidenced by the lethal lympho-proliferation seen in CTLA-4 knockout mice. These signaling pathways play a primary role in T cel ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This STTR-AT-NIAID seeks to develop an integrated nucleic acid system based on research done by Catherine Klapperich's laboratory at Boston University. The BU lab-on-a-chip includes a micro solid phase extraction (lt SPE) column, flap valves and hydrophobic vents to gate fluid movements through micro channels, and multiple reaction chambers for experimenta ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) hold great promise in human health with applications ranging from therapeutic agents that target cancer cells, to diagnostic biomarkers that can detect trace levels of a given antigen. Thispromise is best reflected in global sales of antibodies which reached nearly 31 billion in 2007 and future sales predicted to reach 56 billion ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): An unmet need in the treatment of allergic asthma is an effective therapeutic strategy that focuses on an underlying cause of the disease rather than merely treating or managing its symptoms. At least one well- accepted underlying contributor to the pathophysiologic expression of asthma is an over-expressed and dysregulated T helper type 2 (Th2)-mediated immun ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Infections associated with medical devices can be serious and even fatal. Catheter colonization and production of a biofilm on the surface of a catheter shortly after implantation are normally the prelude for infections. A number of antimicrobial-treated catheters have been developed to combat these infections, however, many of them have limited clinical effica ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects ~ 2 million Americans with devastating impact on multiple organs, especially the skin, joints, kidney, and brain. Therapeutic strategies for lupus are largely palliative orimmunosuppressive with serious toxicities. No new drugs for SLE have been approved in decades. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches to lupus - par ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cancer is America's second leading cause of death. Many approved cancer drugs, such as bortezomib (Velcade), are cytotoxic agents that kill normal cells as well as tumor cells. Therapeutic benefit depends on tumor cellsbeing more sensitive than normal cells, thereby allowing clinical responses to be achieved at relatively safe drug doses; however, damage t ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is in response to PA-07-436 Bioengineering Approaches to Energy Balance and Obesity (STTR [R41/R42]) . In this project we will assess a wrist-worn bite counter for monitoring food intake. Specifically,we will evaluate the device across different foods, liquids, utensils and containers to measure its utility for monitoring eating. We will create ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The object of this project is to reduce the risk of lead poisoning in children by developing an inexpensive, commercially viable product which permanently reduces soluble (bioavailable) lead levels in soils. Young children in areas with lead-contaminated soil often have blood lead levels exceeding the CDC clinical action level. Elevated blood lead levels in c ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Fragment-based drug design (FBDD) is a combinatorial approach in which individual fragments binding to regions of the target site are selected from a fragment library, and then combined to form potential lead compounds.Interest in this approach has significantly increased during the last few years, with many companies using FBDD methods based on X-ray crystallo ...