2014
2014 Research Grants:
The National MPS Society allocated $509,000 in grant funding for 2014 which includes the second year funding for grants awarded in 2013, the unspent MPS III funds from 2012 and the 2014 grants. The funding we provide is critical as we move forward with our mission to find cures for MPS and ML. We received 20 letters of intent from researchers around the world for the General, MPS II, MPS IVA and MPS VI grants. After reviewing those letters, our Scientific Advisory Board review committee requested full grant proposals from eight researchers.
The board of directors allocated $100,000 to Abeona Therapeutics which has licensed the MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB gene therapy technology from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Funds already raised by Abeona have been funneled to Nationwide for MPS III drug manufacturing and preclinical research plus two INDs (investigational new drug applications). The financial distribution from the Society will help move the clinical trial forward.
We also provided $25,000 to support the Lysosomal Disease Network’s NIH grant research goals. The funding is designed for the Neuroimaging Core, which will benefit the four MPS projects. An additional $8,000 was offered for an ML grant in partnership with ISMRD (International Society for Mannosidosis and Related Diseases). A $10,000 partnership grant with the Ryan Foundation funds the University of MN project “Longitudinal Studies of Brain Structure and Function in MPS Disorders.” We also provide funding for post-doctoral fellows to attend the American Society and Gene and Cell Therapy conference.
- General Grant
Moin Vera, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Torrance, CA
- MPS II
AAV mediated gene transfer to the CNS for MPS II
Scott McIvor, PhD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
- MPS III
Overcoming limitations inherent in sulfamidase to improve MPS IIIA gene therapy
Beverly Davidson, PhD
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- MPS VI
Pentosan Polysulfate and GAGs in MPS
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY