Award Data

Recent FDA approvals of ipilimumabnivolumaband pembrolizumabwhich target checkpoint receptors cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigenCTLAand programmed deathPDhave ushered in a new era of cancer immunotherapy in metastatic melanomaDespite unprecedented overall survival benefits with combination therapythe incidence of complete responses are onlyimmune related adverse eventsirAEsare increasedand ...

Project Summary Abstract Multiple MyelomaMMis the second most common form of blood cancer and remains an incurable and deadly diseaseProteasome inhibitorPItherapy is a cornerstone in the treatment of MMbut resistance to this class of agent is an emerging challenge in the clinicNew therapeutic approaches that specifically target resistance are needed to maximize responses and ultimately produce cur ...

Project Summary Metabolic reprogramming plays a critical role in carcinogenesisin part due its ability to promote immune suppressive properties within tumorsHoweverit is unclear whether inhibition of fatty acid metabolism in tumors affects their immunogenicityHerewe show for the first time that inhibition of stearoyl CoA desaturaseSCDthe rate limiting enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis conver ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Developing an Automated Yeast Dissection System for Aging ResearchAging is the single greatest risk factor for diseases that are principal causes of mortalityThe objectives of aging research are to discover key genes and pathways related to aging that may eventually contribute to retardation of aging and a delay in the onset of age associated diseasesThe budding yeast Saccharomyces ...

Autism spectrum disorderASDis a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant deficits in reciprocal social interactionsimpaired communication and restrictedrepetitive behaviorswith a prevalence ofinchildren in the USEarly intervention programs have been shown to be effective for improving IQlanguageand social skills for toddlers as young asmonths of ageDiagnosis of ASD is currently bas ...

AtheroSclerotic CardioVascular DiseaseASCVDis caused by inflammation within arteriesWhite blood cells enter the arterial wallsmacrophages become engorged with lipid cholesterol and summon other inflammatory cells to form plaques which ultimately rupture or occlude the arterykilling down stream tissuee gheart attackASCVD remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality of the elderlyCoronary artery ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a debilitating condition that afflicts nearly 5 million Americans, and it has an increasing incidence. Despite improvements and enormous research efforts (both federally and commercially), pharmacological treatments are ineffective in many patients such that the demand for donor hearts is far greater than the supply. A primary ...

PROJECT SUMMARYAminoglycosides are one of the cheapest and well known antibiotics in clinical use for overyearsbut one of the major limitations in their use is their ototoxicityWe are developing fast and low cost methods to develop aminoglycosides with antiribosomal activities and reduced toxicityIn this projectwe will identify novel aminoglycoside antibacterialsthat show reduced ototoxicityComple ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of the collaboration between the USC and Southern Sun BioSystems is to create a plant breeding and remediation technology-development center which would supply hardware, protocols for breeding-selection and mass production of elite plants for nurseries and remediation businesses, with licensing and tracking mechanisms for protecting intellect ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The increasing use of DNA as a molecular tool has ushered the technology of de novo synthesis of DNA back to the center stage of modern biology. We propose the development of a robust, ultra high-throughput (UHT) technology capable of genome-scale production of high fidelity synthetic DNA at about one percent of the cost and time of the current technologies. Ou ...