Project Grant R41AI147697

This $435,699 National Science Foundation project grant funds research at The Johns Hopkins University to develop multi-specific down-regulating antibodies targeting immune checkpoint proteins. The goal is to discover and design custom antibodies that can induce clustering and down-regulation of checkpoint proteins, eliminating them from the cell surface and mobilizing the immune response against cancer. This innovative trafficking-based mechanism could offer an alternative to currently approved...

This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846), provides $295,924 to Biotherapeutics, Inc. to advance the development of a novel oral, first-in-class therapeutic for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The project aims to conduct pharmacokinetic and safety studies, characterize the effects of the lead compound on human fibroblast-like...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $379,730 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop a continuous electrochemical sensor for the therapeutic monoclonal antibody bevacizumab. The research aims to design anti-idiotype bevacizumab aptamers incorporating azobenzene, a molecule that undergoes reversible structural changes, enabling the regeneration of the aptamer binding site and allowing for continuous...

The federal Project Grant award R21AI188438, totaling $187,938, was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award supports research to investigate the potential origins of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The overarching hypothesis is that ACPAs may arise from antibodies initially targeting a structurally similar modification, known as...

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded Panorama Research Incorporated, doing business as Panorama Research Inc., a $275,765 Project Grant (CFDA 93.846 - Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research) to develop an antibody-based therapy for reducing scarring and fibrosis following joint surgeries. The project aims to improve the delivery and tissue residence of a lead humanized antibody that inhibits collagen fibril formation, thereby...

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded Abbratech Inc. a Project Grant under the Biomedical Research and Research Training Program (CFDA 93.859) in the amount of $205,926 on September 20, 2024. The overarching goal of this "Fast Track" proposal is to develop a comprehensive platform for the identification and validation of recombinant antibodies that are specific to protein isoform splice-junction sites. The project aims to leverage Abbratech's proprietary...

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) awarded a $342,776 Project Grant (CFDA 93.286 - Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health) to Rutgers, The State University in New Jersey. The 4-year grant, running from May 2025 to April 2029, aims to develop foundational data science methods and a pipeline for efficient and exceptional monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulation. The project will prototype experimental and data handling...

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $216,682 Project Grant (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania to develop an engineered protein therapeutic that limits the conversion of a patient's own anti-tumor autoantibodies into bispecific T cell-redirecting antibodies (TRABs) to only those antibodies present in the tumor microenvironment. This research aims to overcome limitations of current bispecific antibody cancer therapies by harnessing...

This Project Grant award, provided by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846), supports the engineering of improved uricase enzyme variants for treating gout. The $298,915 award to Cyrus Biotechnology, Inc., a minority-owned small disadvantaged business in Seattle, WA, aims to develop uricase variants with enhanced stability, reduced immunogenicity, and extended...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) provides $273,550 to Biocognon LLC to develop a combinatorial high-throughput platform for generating improved molecular recognition components for use in therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies. The core aim is to utilize breakthroughs in DNA sequencing, synthetic biology, and computational biology to efficiently identify and optimize antibody...