Announcements

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) – Opioid Crisis Innovation Challenge 2021 RFP          This RFP targets projects which can explore and/or evaluate new “outside-the-box” ideas, bring together approaches from several diverse fields, and engage multidisciplinary, cross-sector teams to solve some of the crisis’ most intractable problems. Currently, this opportunity will focus on projects in the following three areas which, based on discussions with experts in the field, are widely recognized challenges to adequately address the opioid crisis with few examples of how to approach differently to accelerate Request for Proposal 2 Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts improvements in reducing overdoses, increasing access to treatment, and supporting long-term recovery: Professional Education and Training Timely Actionable Data   Supporting the Transition from Treatment to Recovery Funding up to $300,000/year for up to two years.          Due Date: Concept Note July 19th                Full Proposal: July 30th Full info link: https://forefdn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Innovation_RFP_FINAL.pdf

PAS-21-245 > Limited Competition: Promoting a Basic Understanding of Chemical Threats to Skin (R34 Clinical Trial not allowed)    This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support applications to a new NIAMS initiative to encourage the skin research community to contribute to basic understanding of skin injuries caused by chemical threats to the civilian population, with an emphasis on investigating the commonalities of such injuries and identifying potential shared signaling pathways and therapeutic targets for countermeasure development.    Due date: October 16th Full info link:https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-21-245.html

RFA-AG-22-017 > Role of Adaptive Immunity in Etiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)          This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) aims to explore the role of adaptive immunity in Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Specifically, the FOA seeks an understanding of brain immune surveillance, the generation of CNS-directed immune responses in neurodegenerative disorders, and the functional role of adaptive immunity in AD/ADRD onset and progression.          Due date: October 28th Full info link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-22-017.html

RFA-DA-22-017 > PrEP for HIV Prevention among Substance Using Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)    NIDA is interested in research that addresses research gaps related to PrEP and its use among people who use drugs (PWUD), with the goals of improving PrEP uptake, adherence and implementation. Current US Public Health Service PrEP guidelines recommend PrEP for people who inject drugs (PWID) and mention alcohol and illicit drug use as potential concerns for clinical management. More systematic data are needed regarding the impact of substance use on PrEP management and adherence, as well as the best ways to deliver PrEP and integrate it with other services. Recent trials have demonstrated the efficacy of injectable Cabotegravir as PrEP, although no data exist for PWUD and there is a need to inform the best practices for delivery and management of injectable PrEP among PWUD, as well as for oral PrEP. This RFA is restricted to projects conducted in the United States. Applications are encouraged that propose research in states and counties identified in the US Government’s Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Applications to work in locales that are not included in the EHE initiative must provide an epidemiologic justification for their inclusion in the research.    Due Date: Nov 12th    Full info link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-22-017.html

NIH Funding Opportunities https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/WeeklyIndexMobile.cfm?utm_source=Master+Research+Rundown+%26+Funding&utm_campaign=77179fee30-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_14_08_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9d8dbeb58a-77179fee30-194798127

Pilot, Foundation, Misc Funding Opportunities https://mailchi.mp/wakehealth.edu/8yng942go6-8247782?e=9122ea0f40

Upcoming Events

Cancer Biology Seminar Date/Time:     Tuesday, June 22nd (9 – 10 am) Speaker:         Ashish Kumar, PhD (Fellow – Dr. Gagan Deep’s lab) Title:               “RAB5a-GTPase mediates exosomes biogenesis and cargo loading in hypoxia-induced prostate cancer progression” Webex: https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=mcfbbdf13b274693d58ae7eebe8cb0e19 [wakehealth.webex.com]

Comparative Medicine Research Strategy Meeting Date/Time:     Tuesday, June 22nd (3:30 – 4:30 pm) Speaker:         Rabina Mainali (PhD student – Physiology and Pharmacology)                         “Understanding the role of itaconate in modulating liver metabolism during sepsis” Taeseok (Sammy) Oh (Fellow – Pathology – Comparative Medicine) “Sepsis elicits energy imbalance and metabolic alterations” Webex:           https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=m3ff462a40461de01bf923e1d4ba67a42 Meeting #: 1615 31 4665 Passcode: 6BFwEGZ8q5V 

Recent Publications

Dupont E, Tsangaris T, Garcia-Cantu C, Howard-McNatt M, Chiba A, Berger AC, Levine EA, Gass JS, Gallagher K, Lum SS, Martinez RD, Willis AI, Pandya SV, Brown EA, Fenton A, Mendiola A, Murray M, Solomon NL, Senthil M, Ollila DW, Edmonson D, Lazar M, Namm JP, Li F, Butler M, McGowan NE, Herrera ME, Avitan YP, Yoder B, Walters LL, McPartland T, Chagpar AB. Resection of Cavity Shave Margins in Stage 0-III Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Breast Conserving Surgery: A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2021 May 1;273(5):876-881. PMID: 31290763. https://doi.org/10.1093/molehr/gaab018 

McNutt PM, Kelly KEM, Altvater AC, Nelson MR, Lyman ME, O’Brien S, Conroy MT, Ondeck CA, Bodt SML, Wolfe SE, Schulz SM, Kniffin DM, Hall NB, Hamilton TA. Dose-dependent emergence of acute and recurrent corneal lesions in sulfur mustard-exposed rabbit eyes. Toxicol Lett. 2021 May 1;341:33-42. PMID: 33497768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.01.016 

Newman TM, Shively CA, Register TC, Appt SE, Yadav H, Colwell RR, Fanelli B, Dadlani M, Graubics K, Nguyen UT, Ramamoorthy S, Uberseder B, Clear KYJ, Wilson AS, Reeves KD, Chappell MC, Tooze JA, Cook LK. Diet, obesity, and the gut microbiome as determinants modulating metabolic outcomes in a non-human primate model. Microbiome. 2021 May 5;9(1):100. PMCID: PMC8101030. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc8101030/ 

Xu R, Schachar J, Evans RJ, Matthews CA, Badlani G, Walker SJ. Hydrodistention does not alter bladder gene expression profiles in patients with non-Hunner lesion interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Neurourol Urodyn. 2021 May 4. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33942362. https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.24680 

Liu B, Zhou M, Li X, Zhang X, Wang Q, Liu L, Yang M, Yang D, Guo Y, Zhang Q, Zheng H, Wang Q, Li L, Chu X, Wang W, Li H, Soung F, Pan Y, Zhang W, Chen K. Interrogation of gender disparity uncovers androgen receptor as the transcriptional activator for oncogenic miR-125b in gastric cancer. Cell Death Dis. 2021 May 4;12(5):441. PMCID: PMC8096848. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc8096848/ 

CPM Faculty Member Highlights

Dr. Tony Reeves received his B.S. in Biology and was commissioned as an U.S. Army Ordnance Officer from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX.  After active duty he returned to Tarleton State to earn a M.S. in Molecular Biology by developing recombinant baculovirus and genotyping aquatic insects.  He earned his PhD in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, where he engineered thermodynamically stabilized enzymes for use as organophosphate nerve agent countermeasures [1].  Dr. Reeves completed his postdoctoral training at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD, where he worked on multiple projects creating therapeutic antibodies, enzymes and small molecules using a variety of animal models [2, 3].  After completing his postdoc, he moved to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, TX.  At SwRI Dr. Reeves served as a Principal Scientist and the Manager of the Biochemistry and Medicinal & Process Chemistry sections of the Pharmaceuticals and Bioengineering Department and earned his MBA from Texas A&M University San Antonio.  As Manager he oversaw numerous early phase drug discovery projects [4] and business development efforts.  He came to Wake Forest School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Section on Molecular Medicine and his current work includes developing therapeutics for cholestatic itch with collaborators at Duke University and UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico [5], nanoparticle formulated enzymes to treat nerve agent intoxication with the Ohio State University (NIH R21NS084899) and development of novel, specific PET tracers for cannabinoid and norepinephrine receptors with Winston Salem State University (NSF EIR 20-542).  He is also using molecular modeling for repositioning of FDA approved compounds in Lupus (Langefeld, W81XWH-20-1-0686) and chlorine exposure (Attala, BAA-18-100-SOL-00003).  He has had two recent pilot studies funded.  One to develop an in utero PET imaging model that uses co-registered MRI data as a method to asses efficacy of novel opioid overdose countermeasures (NCTIC Pilot) and a second to design novel FABP4 inhibitors in conjunction with a knock out mouse model being developed by Atrium (CTSI Translational Research Initiative). 1.        Reeves TE, Wales ME, Grimsley JK, Li P, Cerasoli DM, Wild JR.  Balancing the stability and the catalytic specificities of OP hydrolases with enhanced V-agent activities. Protein Eng Des Sel, 2008. 21(6): p. 405-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/protein/gzn019 2.       Bharate SB, Guo L, Reeves TE, Cerasoli DM, Thompson CM. New series of monoquaternary pyridinium oximes: Synthesis and reactivation potency for paraoxon-inhibited electric eel and recombinant human acetylcholinesterase. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2009. 19(17): p. 5101-4. PMCID: PMC2728166. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2728166/ 3.       Cerasoli DM, Armstrong SJ, Reeves TE, Hodgins SM, Kasten SA, Lee-Stubbs RB, Cadieux CL, Otto TC, Capacio BR, Lunz DE. Butyrylcholinesterase, a stereospecific in vivo bioscavenger against nerve agent intoxication. Biochem Pharmacol, 2020. 171: p. 113670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113670 4.       McHardy SF, Bohmann JA, Corbett MR, Campos B, Tidwell MW, Thompson PM, Bemben CJ, Menchaca TA, Reeves TE, et al.  Design, synthesis, and characterization of novel, nonquaternary reactivators of GF-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2014. 24(7): p. 1711-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.02.049 5.       Chen Y, Wang Z-L, Yeo M, Zhang Q-J, Lopez-Romero AE, Ding H-P, Zhang X, Zeng Q, Morales-Lazaro SL, Moore C, Jin Y-A, Yang H-H, Morstein J, Bortsov A, Krawczyk M, Lammert F, Adbelmalek M, Diehl AM, Miliewicz P, Kremer AE, Zhang JY, Nackley A, Reeves TE, et al. Epithelia-sensory neuron crosstalk underlies cholestatic itch induced by lysophosphatidylcholine. Gastroenterology. 2021 Apr 2;S0016-5085(21)00576-X. [online ahead of print] https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.049