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| PROJECT TITLE | Creating tiny drug manufacturing centers in the human body |
| CATEGORY | Parkinson's Disease, Macular Degeneration, Transplants |
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION |
Certain devastating
diseases, including Parkinson's and macular degeneration, are caused by
the deteriorating ability of cells to make certain necessary compounds.
Drugs are used to re-supply cells, but it is often difficult to
find an effective dose. In addition the drugs may not be able to get to
the needed cells, and they cause many side effects because they target
the body in a non-specific way and have to be given in large
doses.
If a tiny drug-manufacturing center could be implanted near the cells where the compounds were needed, then these issues could be eliminated. This project will test the ability to transplant certain cells, previously removed from a patient's own body, back into different places in the body to serve as tiny drug manufacturing centers. Once perfected, this technology could be used on a wide variety of diseases without the side effects of drugs or the need to transplant cells from donors. |
| INVESTIGATORS | Scott Sherman, MD, PhD |
| CO-FUNDERS | University of Arizona, University Physicians Experimental Research in Clinical Care |
| INSTITUTION | Department of
Neurology University of Arizona 1501 N. Campbell Avenue Tucson, AZ 85724 |
| STATUS | Approved for
funding Pending completion of Partnership Agreement |