Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this STTR project is to develop a pre-formed, naturally-based hydrogel postoperative adhesion barrier with improved handling characteristics, laparoscopic deliverability, and consistent efficacy. Our technology is based on a novel, patented process that imparts exceptional elasticity and toughness on normally brittle, weak materials. Postoperative a ...

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): Over the past decade, an investigation of how family members talk through cancer on the telephone has resulted in the recent publication of a lengthy volume entitled A Natural History of Family Cancer: Interactional Resources for Managing Illness (NH). Based on the conversations analyzed for this volume, and related research on the psychosocial impacts and con ...

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. This often is attributable to thrombus formation at an atherosclerotic plaque or thromboembolism. Patients who present within 4.5 hours of symptom onset are eligible for thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). This serves andlt;5% of victims. Recently, major advance has been made with proven efficacy fro ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Genital herpes is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections worldwide and is associated with substantial morbidity. The impact of genital herpes as a public health threat is amplified because of its epidemiologic synergy with HIV. Epidemiological studies consistently demonstrate that HSV infection increases the risk of HIV transmission and acqu ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to synthesize, based on genomic sequence information, a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain with demonstrated ability to establish persistent infection in sero-positive individuals. The resulting synthetic product will form the basis for the development of attenuated HCMV vaccines. Innovative synthetic biology methods will overcome ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the last decade, Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the most highly antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the United States (US) and throughout the world. These infections are increasingly prevalent and highlylethal, killing 50-60% of those infected. Worse, strains of A. baumannii that no known antibiotic will kill have now emerged, and will continue ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) used to treat HIV/AIDS has serious side-effects, including metabolic complications from mitochondrial toxicities that can be life-threatening, and limit effectiveness and patient compliance. Adverse metabolic effects are now managed by adept clinicians who monitor patients closely for clinical symptoms and adjust t ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Up to 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected with HCV Hepatitis C virus (HCV) putting the infected individuals at significant risk for cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. End- stage liver diseasecaused by HCV is the leading indication of liver transplantation (LT) in the United States. However, reinfection with HCV occurs universally and ...

Filoviruses, consisting of two major virus families including the ebolaviruses and marburgviruses (MARV and RAVV), cause periodic outbreaks of severe viral hemorrhagic fever with mortality rates as high as 90%. Since it is difficult to predict the species that would dominate future outbreaks, development of broadly protective therapeutics to prevent and manage future filovirus outbreaks is of high ...