SUNY Downstate Secures $50k Grant for Innovative Breast Cancer Treatment Research
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jul 23, 2024
Funding Awarded by SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund, Contributing to Over $3 Million Invested in SUNY Research Innovation
BROOKLYN, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) today announced that researchers Henri Tiedge, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Neurology, and Medicine, and Valerio Berardi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, have received a $50,000 grant from the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) for their groundbreaking breast cancer treatment proposal, “Xenograft mouse models for the development of breast cancer therapies directed at regulatory BC200 RNA.” This innovative approach targets BC200 RNA, a non-coding RNA involved in breast cancer cell transformation. The project includes contributions from clinical collaborator Raavi Gupta, M.D., Professor of Pathology, and commercial collaborator Mirimus Inc., led by President and CEO Prem Premsrirut, M.D., Ph.D. TAF strategically invests in SUNY's most promising technologies to accelerate their development and commercialization.
Approximately 2.3 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. The novel approach to breast cancer treatment proposed by Drs. Tiedge and Berardi is highly applicable, as BC200 RNA is frequently expressed in mammary carcinomas, including triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer is particularly aggressive and unresponsive to other therapies, highlighting a significant unmet need. The strong industry interest in BC200 RNA as a therapeutic target underscores the potential and relevance of this proposed technology in the coming years.
“It is gratifying to be selected for this grant, as it means that we can continue our development of this potentially life-saving technology,” said Dr. Tiedge. “With this generous funding from SUNY’s Technology Accelerator Fund, our team can continue this work to ensure that patients diagnosed with breast cancer are given the best care possible.”
SUNY’s Technology Acceleration Fund is designed to transform academic research into market-ready technologies, prioritizing essential research and development milestones, such as feasibility studies, prototyping, and commercial viability testing, to make these innovations more appealing to potential investors. Funding is competitively awarded, considering factors like intellectual property rights, market potential, and the commercial and societal impacts of the innovations.
Since 2011, the Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) has supported faculty inventors and scientists in transforming their research into market-ready technologies. In 2023, SUNY Downstate’s Moro O. Salifu, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology, received a TAF grant for his innovative peptide drug designed to treat vascular access stenosis and thrombosis. SUNY and its Research Foundation have invested over $3M through TAF, advancing the commercial readiness of 65 innovations developed at SUNY campuses. This program has catalyzed an additional $16M in follow-on investments from development partners, including government agencies, industry licensees, and early-stage investors.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.