Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is responsible for the development of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases of all causes and remarkably, HSC clearance by apoptosis may allow recovery from liver injury andreversal of liver fibrosis. There is full agreement among liver fibrosis experts that inhibiting o reversing HS activation (the therapeutic targ ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a major health problem leading to cirrhosis and death. There is currently no pharmacological treatment for HF, and liver transplantation is unable to meet the needs of all patients afflicted with HF. We have shown that chronic liver injury involves the activation of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and TLR9. We further demonstrated that the ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I STTR Grant Proposal requests 100,000 support for WestFace Medical Device to construct and test the WestFace Imaging Adaptor in conjunction with Ruikang K. Wang, PhD and his laboratory at the University ofWashington. Utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT), the patented OCT Adaptor (USPTO Pats. # 7,682,089, # 8,057,107, #8,235,602) provides re ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goals of this project are twofold: a) to develop a new technique for nanoscale Mass spectrometry imaging based on AFM based tip enhanced IR ablation (nanoIR-MS). b) to apply this technique towards the application ofSingle cell imaging. Information on the chemical composition within a cell has implications in the understanding of cell metabolism, division, d ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neuron-cell culture is widely used for studies in basic research, drug discovery, and toxicity testing. Traditional random cultures allow limited access to subcellular compartments (axons, dendrites, synapses) due to extensive and haphazard growth of neurons. Our long-term goal is to provide robust, user-friendly, and cost effective culture platforms that can o ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nonlinear optical microscopy techniques (such as two-photon florescence) are being used to acquire volumetric (i.e. three dimensional) images that probe several hundred microns into scattering tissue. These techniques are being combined with fast acquisition schemes to allow imaging of live, moving specimens at high NA. This combination allows for high-resoluti ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Congenital cardiovascular defects, specifically single ventricle abnormalities, constitute the most common cause of death among infants born with birth defects. Even after surgically rerouting the single ventricle circulation via the Fontan procedure, the circulation in these patients relies on blood flowing passively through the lungs. Thus, this group of pati ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to a 3-4 fold higher risk of experiencing ischemic stroke. In addition, DM stroke patients are more prone to develop more and earlier white matter (WM) high-intensity lesions than non DM stroke patients. Treatment of stroke with tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) at 2-3 hours after stroke decreases lesion volume in non-DM rats. How ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Expansion of the trinucleotide repeat CGG in the FMR1 gene causes dysregulation of FMR1 protein expression and results in a host of serious conditions, from cognitive impairment, autism, ovarian failure, and progressiveneurological disorders. Over 1.5 million Americans harbor expanded repeat regions, and 10 million are indicated by symptoms or family history to ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a position tracking and mobility assessment system that will enable the elderly to live longer and more safely at home or in an assisted living facility. The ability to move is a critical function tat underlies the quality of life for the elderly. Changes in mobility such as speed of walking have been shown to ...