The CWRU Technology and Validation Start-Up Fund Program (CTP), awarded by the Ohio Third Frontier and managed through the CWRU Technology Transfer Office, aims to accelerate and fund the translation of promising technologies into the marketplace through Ohio based companies with the eventual goal of creating greater economic growth. The $500,000 fund will help faculty researchers advance and commercialize their innovations. Three rounds of funding are expected in 2017.
The CTP is intended to be the final bridge between a translational research project and a viable commercial program. Funding will support technologies that require validation/proof that will directly impact and enhance commercial viability and the ability to support a start-up company.
The Three CTP Award Recipients for the 2018 CTP, Round 1 are:
Hulya Bukulmez, MD, Department of Pediatrics, MetroHealth Medical Center
The technology: A media formulation that uses quality-by-design, transcriptome, and cytokine analysis to mimic an inflammatory environment similar to lupus ex vivo. Priming of mesenchymal stem cells in this formulation ex vivo is expected to induce a therapeutic response specific to lupus after infusion in vivo.
Dominique Durand, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Oropharynx Appliance to Maintain Airway Patency
The technology: A non-invasive device that prevents the tongue from blocking the airway during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A large fraction of patients with OSA have difficulty complying with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the current standard of care.
David Wald, MD PhD, Department of Pathology
NK Cell Therapy
The Technology: A novel strategy to expand and activate NK cells ex vivio using a proprietary feeder cell line. This technology may overcome the critical hurdle for clinical NK cell therapy: the ability to manufacture large doses of highly active "universal donor" NK cells ex vivo.
The Three CTP Award Recipients for the 2018 CTP, Round 2 are:
Susann Brady-Kalnay, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
Novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Agent for Tumor Detection and Treatment
The Technology: A novel peptide that binds to a specific glioblastoma biomarker. This peptide can be conjugated to various metals for detection using MRI and PET, which is advantageous over current single detection mechanisms, and can be conjugated to other molecules for therapeutic purposes.
Brian Grimberg, PhD, Center for Global Health and Diseases
Magneto-Optical Diagnosis of Early Stage Lyme Disease in Blood Samples
The Technology: A device for detecting presence of Borrellia bacteria, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, in whole blood during initial infection. If detected early, Lyme could be more effectively treated, preventing unnecessary suffering and the effective follow-up care. The current gold standard detection device is effective only four weeks after potential Borrellia exposure.
Anant Madabhushi, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
LunIOTx: Decision Support Technology for Predicting and Monitoring Response to Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer
The technology: Software to identify advanced lung cancer patients who will not benefit from immunotherapy, enabling patients to discontinue contraindicated treatment when needed. This technology not only enables avoidance of harm as well as avoidance of high costs of unnecessary immunotherapy.
The Two CTP Award Recipients for Round 1 are:
Nicole F. Steinmetz, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Plant virus-like particle (VLP)-based cancer immunotherapy
The technology: Plant virus-like particles introduced directly into the tumor microenvironment after tumors are established act as an in situ vaccine and induce a potent, sustained, and specific anti-tumor response.
Susann Brady-Kalnay, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
A Novel Molecular Imaging Agent for Surgical Resection of Invasive Brain Tumors
The technology: A highly specific fluorescent biomarker used to identify glioblastoma cells not only of the primary tumor but also for diffuse secondary tumors in real-time for surgical resection.
The Three CTP Award Recipients for Round 2 are:
Dominique Durand, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Non-Invasive Sensory Stimulation for Seizure Suppression
The technology: A non-invasive, alternative method to prevent seizures using deep brain stimulation technology. A mask integrated with LEDs and earphones delivers low frequency stimulation through audio clicks and visual flashes to suppress seizures.
Anant Madabhushi, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Computerized Histologic Risk Predictor (CHiRP) of benefit of adjuvant therapy in Lung Cancer
The technology: Software to predict disease recurrence in early stage lung cancer patients and help determine whether patients will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
Miklos Gratzl, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Portable Sweat Chloride Tester For Early Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis
The technology: Fully automated, hand held device to diagnose Cystic Fibrosis in newborns requiring only one-tenth of the sample size required by current technologies.
The Four CTP Award Recipients for Round 3 are:
Aaron Weinberg DMD, PhD, School of Dental Medicine
Point-of-Care Device for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Oral Cancer
The technology: A non-invasive oral cancer biomarker test that collects cells from questionable oral lesions and objectively determines if they are cancerous within 15 minutes.
Jerry Silver, PhD, School of Medicine
Isabelle Deschenes, PhD, Metro Health Medical Center
IND enabling experiments for Intracellular Sigma Peptide in Acute Myocardial Ischemia
The technology: Novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of myocardial ischemia/infarction using a peptide that can regenerate cardiac nerves into the infarcted myocardium.
Anant Madabhushi, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
LunIRiS: Decision Support for Lung Cancer Screening
The technology: Image analysis software on CT scans to determine whether lung nodules are benign or cancerous to prevent unnecessary surgical interventions.
Andrew M. Rollins, PhD,
OCT Image Guidance for RFA Therapy of Atrial Fibrillation
The technology: Catheter that combines Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) with guided cardiac radiofrequency ablation therapy to provide direct visualization of critical intra-cardiac structures.