Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bioinformatics and biochemical analysis suggests that the human genome encodes ~ 100 proteins known as deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). DUBs constitute an important class of enzymes that deconjugate ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins (UBL) from their target proteins. Protein uniquitination serves many functions in the cell, including proteasome-mediated degr ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite modern conveniences, humans continue to transport considerable weight wherever they go. Although on smooth even surfaces, luggage with small wheels is effective, outside of these restricted arenas they are ineffective and add to the weight. Hence backpacks remain the preferred solution to move loads around with us. They are ubiquitous, carried by child ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic, severely debilitating disease of the urinary bladder. It can be described as a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder wall, characterized by urinary frequency and urgency, and severe suprapubic and/or pelvic pain. Presently, there is limited medical therapy for IC and new and effective treatment is a major unmet ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Lipella Pharmaceutical Inc has been successful with development of intravesical liposome for painful bladder syndrome/Interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). Through SBIR funding, Lipella has been successful in establishing the pre-clinical safety of its primary liposome formulation LPA-08. LPA-08 was discovered at the University of Pittsburgh and exclusively licens ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is the primary regulator of the transcriptional response of mammalian cells to low oxygen and other stresses that lower ATP levels. Our investigations on the mechanism of action of HIF -1 have led us to the fundamental observation that adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity is important for tumor b ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is a hospital-acquired problem following routine antibiotic treatment. Its impact may exceed that of any other nosocomial infection. Spores of the toxin-producing pathogen are highly resistant to antibiotics and therefore overgrow the gut when broad-spectrum oral antibiotics kill off the competing bacteria. The C ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Micromechatronics and Invengen Engineering will design and demonstrate a minimally invasive dynamic ocular blade that will use the 'reduction of force' effect to reduce tissue trauma. The long-term objective of this wor k is to commercialize two surgical procedure products; one used in cataract surgery, the other in the placement of central venous catheters. Th ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): MicroMRI, Inc. Development of a cost-effective pfMRI for in vivo structural examination of bone Abstract Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by low bone mass and abnormal bone quality. The current "gold standard", dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), cannot assess bone quality and fails to detect > 50% of persons at greatest risk of fractur ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop a novel system for critical care that delivers instructional material to healthcare personnel at the point of care. The overall goal is to shift some of the delivery of continuing education to the bedside, where relevant and often rich, untapped opportunities for context-based learning exist. The Phase II project will complete development ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Aggressive, invasive breast cancer will attack gt180,000 women in the US in 2007, and will take the lives of gt40,000 women. Mammograms detect lumps in breasts, H80% of which are benign, and H20% are malignant. Lumps ar e biopsied to determine whether they are benign or malignant. But biopsies do not determine which oncogenes are activated, and do not reliably ...