Two
Institute researchers were the first Cleveland Clinic recipients of grants
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the National Institutes
of Health.
Andrea Ladd, PhD, Cell Biology, received $1.7 million over five years under the ARRA and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/NIH, for “Roles of Pre-mRNA Alternative Splicing Programs in Heart Development.” The work involves exploring how programs of alternative splicing regulation contribute to embryonic development. She hypothesized that CELF/MBNL-mediated alternative splicing programs are important for embryonic heart development. Previous data show that changes in CELF and MBNL protein expression during cardiac morphogenesis are accompanied by transitions in alternative splicing. She hopes to elucidate the role that CELF/MBNL-mediated alternative splicing regulation plays during cardiac morphogenesis in chick and mouse model systems. The first two years of the grant will be funded by monies distributed under the ARRA via the NIH and the next three years will come from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH.
Vincent
Tuohy, PhD, Immunology, received $1.3 million over four years, under
the ARRA and National Cancer Institute/NIH, for “Autoimmune Induced Breast
Failure as a Strategy for Breast Cancer Vaccination.” His group is investigating
a unique “prophylactic” vaccine against breast cancer in women. Testing in
mouse models is yielding data that may eventually help adult women worldwide.
Clinical trials are being planned to study the vaccine in women in their 40s.
The first two years of the grant will be funded by monies distributed under
the ARRA via the NIH and the second two years will come from the National
Cancer Institute/NIH.