UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON​

Development of a molecular phenotyping system for biopsies from lung transplants

Grantee wants to improve diagnostics of lung transplant rejection. Grantee will use microarrays to see if they can detect rejection in both MB and TBB from the same patient, and if the MB can be used instead of the TBB, particularly when TBB cannot be done in sick patients. The MB is much safer and if it can be used will enormously impact patient care. Grantee’s goal is to change lung transplant diagnostics with a molecular test that accurately identifies rejection in a safer biopsy, and use this test to improve care of lung transplant patients

Principal Investigator: Phillip F. Halloran, MD, PhD
Project Title:  Awarded: November 2016
Duration: 12 months
Amount of Award: $100,000

THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE​

Multi-Dimensional “Shotgun” Epigenetics of Circulating Blood Cell and CD4 Memory T Cell Immunity in Kidney Transplant Patients with Clinical & Biopsy Proven Acute or Chronic Rejection

The application of multiple and complementary cutting edge protocols for epigenetic profiling of peripheral blood cells to determine the diagnostic and prognostic potential of this whole new and rapidly developing field of genetics in clinical samples of kidney transplants with or without chronic rejection. Grantee will concentrate on profiling CD4 memory cells as these are the primary drivers of alloimmune responses post transplant. All the clinical samples for this purpose are already in Grantee’s archives so work will start immediately on funding.

Principal Investigator: Daniel Salomon, MD
Awarded: February 2016
Duration: 12 months
Amount of Award: $99,437

VIRACOR-IBT LABORATORIES, INC.

HLA Class Monitoring II Matching Effect on Kidney Transplantation

Grantee’s proposed research will examine the data collected by UNOS for thousands of kidney transplants over the past decades in order to identify patterns of HLA matching which were associated with longer successful transplants. This will provide information to advise future deceased donor kidney allocation and get the most benefit out of this limited, precious resource.

Principal Investigator: James Cicciarelli, PhD
Awarded: February 2016
Duration: 12 months
Amount of Award: $22,500

CORNELL UNIVERSITY​

Massively Parallel RNA Sequencing & Metabolamics: A Multiplatform Approach for the Discovery & Validation of Noninvasive Biomarkers of Kidney Allograft Status

Grantee proposes a sequential and a multiplatform approach for the discovery and validation of noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers of kidney allograft status.  Massively parallel RNA sequencing of urinary cells will be used to identify mRNAs and microRNAs associated with kidney allograft biopsy diagnosis.  Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry will be used to analyze cell free urine supermatants and identify metabolites associated with kidney allograft biopsy diagnosis.  The proposed first-in-kind and unbiased interrogation of both urinary cells and cell free urine supermatants offers an unparalleled opportunity to identify novel biomarkers of kidney allograft status.

Principal Investigator: Manikkan Suthanthiran, MD, FACP
Awarded: February 2016
Duration: 12 months
Amount of Award: $50,000​

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI​

Genome Editing of Stem Cells for In Vivo Chemoselection & Immunomodulation

This project aims to develop methods for genetic engineering of human hematopoietic stem cells that will enable HLA antigens to be selectively knocked out, and that will allow the immune-modified stem cells to selectively proliferate in vivo.

Principal Investigators: Katrin Hacke, PhD & Noriyuki Kasahara, MD, PhD
Awarded: February 2016
Duration: 12 months
Amount of Award: $74,999