Translational research seeks to turn biomedical research discoveries into health solutions through the application of translational science. The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) helps move clinical discoveries into practice by providing pilot awards to researchers. These pilots support small-scale tests of methods and procedures to assess whether an approach can be used in a larger-scale study.
One of ICTR’s funding opportunities, the Translational Basic and Clinical Research (TBCR) Pilot Award, supports projects focused on developing new clinical interventions, integrating translational research into an investigator-initiated project, or addressing contemporary and/or emerging health crises. Reflecting ICTR’s commitment to developing interdisciplinary teams, TBCR-supported projects must include co-principal investigators from different scientific disciplines.
“Translational research is about momentum,” says Alan McMillan, PhD, ICTR Pilot Awards Program co-director. “These awards provide the essential fuel to move ideas out of the lab and toward the clinic, where they can directly improve human health.”
Since 2007, ICTR has released 17 opportunities to apply for the TBCR pilot projects. Awards have supported 187 Contact PIs and their interdisciplinary teams. To date, 72 PIs (38.5%) have collectively secured one or more external grants directly attributable to their pilot project. These grants are primarily from federal sources (NIH, VA Merit, DOD, and NSF) totaling $68,939,847, representing a substantial return on this investment.
This year, ICTR is pleased to support ten projects through NCATS support and co-funding from sponsoring UW–Madison schools, departments, or centers.
Below, you can read more about the newly funded innovative projects.
Harnessing Early Neuroplasticity in Infants with Perinatal Brain Injury: A Pilot Study of Combined Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) and Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Early treatment of infants with birth-related brain injuries could help harness the brain’s ability to change and adapt after injury. This pilot seeks to adapt interventions and assessments regularly used in adults, to help rehabilitation of infants with brain injury to lessen long-term adverse effects.
- Contact PI: Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT
- Co-PI: Ryan McAdams, MD
- Co-funded by the SMPH Department of Pediatrics
Non-Invasive Assessment of Liver Function in Children with Overweight and Obesity Using (13C)-Methacetin Breath Test
Current tests for metabolic liver disease in children are limited. The main test, a liver biopsy, is invasive and not practical for regular use in kids. This study will look at whether the 13C-Methacetin Breath Test can be a safe, non-invasive way to check liver function in real time.
- Contact PI: Michele Novaes Ravelli, PhD
- Co-PI: Aaron Carrel, MD
- Funded by ICTR
Overcoming Innate Immune Cell Barriers to Stem Cell-Derived Islet Transplantation for Type I Diabetes Therapy
People with Type 1 diabetes produce little to no insulin and have a lifelong dependence on synthetic insulin. Islet cell transplantation can help restore insulin production, but limited donor availability and transplant rejection hinder widespread use. This project will show how engineered islet cells can be used to help create therapies for type 1 diabetes that work for everyone and are less likely to be rejected.
- Contact PI: Connie S. Chamberlain, PhD
- Co-PI: Jenny Gumperz, PhD
- Co-funded by the UW Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center
PRMT5 Inhibition Sensitizes B-cell Lymphoma Cells to Ferroptosis
Cancer cells often overproduce a protein called PRMT5. This protein protects the tumor from ferroptosis, a process where cells are destroyed by internal iron-related damage. This project investigates a new combination pairing a PRMT5 inhibitor with an existing drug to strip away these defenses to become a more effective and less toxic treatment strategy for B-cell and mantle cell lymphomas.
- Contact PI: Lixin Rui, PhD
- Co-PI: Wei Xu, PhD
- Co-funded by the UW Carbone Cancer Center
Development of new glioblastoma-targeting theranostic radiopharmaceuticals
Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer. Most patients survive just over a year even with current treatments. This pilot seeks to develop a new approach to detecting and treating glioblastoma by targeting a protein system that helps cancer cells get nutrients.
- Contact PI: Paul Ellison, PhD
- Co-PI: Michael Veronesi, MD, PhD
- Co-funded by SMPH Department of Radiology
Contribution of peripheral macrophages in the neuro-immune mechanisms of bladder pain
Chronic urologic pain is not a well understood condition. Patients with this condition often have additional pain problems that are hard to treat. This project will define the role immune cells in nerve clusters play in pain caused by bladder inflammation. Targeting these cells may lead to a new strategy to treat chronic urologic pain and additional pain experienced.
- Contact PI: LaTasha Crawford, VMD, PhD, DACVP
- Co-PI: Lisa Arendt, PhD, DVM
- Co-funded by the School of Veterinary Medicine
Functional and Structural Impacts of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) on Brain Health
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder, can contribute to increased rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline in women. This pilot will study how PCOS may negatively affect brain health. Results will help inform strategies to prevent long-term cognitive decline and improve care.
- Contact PI: Bill Schrage, PhD
- Co-PI: Laura Cooney, MD
- Co-funded by the School of Education
MAP-RC: Multi-modal AI-Predictor of Renal Cancer
Treatments for a common type of kidney cancer are limited by the lack of noninvasive testing to distinguish slow growing tumors from aggressive ones. This lack also makes it more difficult to predict whether cancer cells have the capacity to spread to other organs and tissues. Researchers hope to improve treatment selection and monitoring of slow growing tumors using an AI-based risk assessment tool.
- Contact PI: Andrew Wentland, MD, PhD
- Co-PI: Jason Abel, MD, FACS
- Co-funded by SMPH Department of Radiology
Acoustic cavitation for thrombotic disorders
Chronic clots are hard to break down due to their complex structure. If the clot is not fully removed during a procedure it can result in serious health complications like a stroke or blocked lung artery. This project aims to develop a new removal technique that uses tiny bubbles to weaken the clot which helps drugs work more effectively. Coupled with non-invasive imaging to see the structure of the clot, treatment can be tailored to each patient.
- Contact PI: Aarushi Bhargava, PhD
- Co-PI: Carol Mitchell, PhD
- Funded by National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Single-cell RNA sequencing of a new mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research is limited by animal models that fail to accurately mimic human disease pathology. This impedes the discovery of why motor neurons selectively degenerate. This project employs a new, more authentic mouse model to map behavioral defects and gene expression changes at the single-cell level. By identifying the specific cellular pathways driving the disease, this project aims to establish a reliable platform to better develop targeted therapeutics for ALS.
- Contact PI: Randal Tibbetts, PhD
- Co-PI: Daifeng Wang, PhD
- Funded by National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences