Award Data

ABSTRACTOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is the gold standard for the diagnosis and monitoring of retinal and optic nerve diseases. Clinical OCT systems (large tabletop devices with chinrest) require a compliant subject, and thus are not suitable for use with infants, young children, and patients who are unable to cooperate for eye imaging (such as from physical disability or while under anesthe ...

Project SummaryGI side effects, such as ulcers and diarrhea, represent the most common source of adverse events for pharmaceuticals. GI stem cells are responsible for repairing and replenishing GI epithelium, and pharmaceutical inhibition of these functions likely contribute to adverse event risk. Currently there are no high-throughput and cost-effective means of screening candidate therapeutics f ...

PROJECT SUMMARY A significant shift in the safety assessment of environmental chemicals is ongoing. This shift includes a reduction, or in some cases elimination, of traditional toxicity testing in animals with the implementation of new approach methodologies (NAMs). Although these emerging NAMs provide an attractive means for identifying teratogens and other developmental toxicants, the absence o ...

Project Summary Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and metapneumovirus (MPV) are the two leading viral causes of death in infants and young children, and are major causes of respiratory illness in immunocompromised adults and the elderly. Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine or effective therapy available for either infection. Synagis, a monthly intramuscular injection of the monoclonal ant ...

PROJECT SUMMARYCell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels are elevated in the blood of individuals with cancer, leading to increased interest in liquid biopsy (LB)-based assays for disease diagnostics and monitoring. Despite this, current cfDNA assays are challenged by limited sensitivity and specificity to differentiate between cell types and disease states. cfDNA is primarily found as cell-free nucleosomes (c ...

Summary: More than half of female cancer survivors will experience chronic pelvic pain and dyspareunia (painful intercourse) due to their cancer treatments. As the number of cancer survivors continues to grow, so too will the number of women in need of effective treatments for this life-altering condition. Pelvic floor physical therapists currently use several different devices during in-clinic an ...

Project SummaryThe proto-oncogene KRAS is one of the most critical genes in cancer, yet, as a drug target, it has proven to be among the most elusive. A remarkable 30% of lung adenocarcinomas, 45% of colon, and 98% of pancreatic cancers are driven by KRAS mutations. These cancers account for the top 3 causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Most cancer associated KRAS mutations resul ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Managing the complex risk-benefit profile of opioid therapeutics is a significant challenge for today’s physicians. Prescription opioid analgesics provide excellent pain relief but, at the same time, put patients in danger of severe adverse effects, most notably opioid use disorder (OUD). The current opioid crisis in the United States reflects these risks, as over 2.4 million Ame ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a chronic eye disorder, is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness and impacts approximately 3 million people (~200,000 each year) in the US alone. Wet AMD is characterized by aberrant angiogenesis under the retina and macular, which is induced by vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs). To this end, most therapeutic effor ...

The objective of this SBIR Direct Phase II proposal is to carry QATCH’s nanovisQ™ technology, which is a wide-shear-rate range and low volume viscometer for determining developability and injectability of biopharmaceutical formulations, from single-test sensors to high-throughput and automated format. This objective is motivated by the needs of the growing protein-based biopharmaceutical thera ...