{"id":47317,"date":"2003-06-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2003-06-06T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2003\/06\/06\/unmc-third-quarter-research-grants-total-12-million-2\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:44:21","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:44:21","slug":"unmc-third-quarter-research-grants-total-12-million-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2003\/06\/06\/unmc-third-quarter-research-grants-total-12-million-2\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC Third Quarter Research Grants Total $12 Million"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Nebraska Medical Center received $12 million in federal<\/p>\n

research grants during the third quarter of fiscal year 2002-03. The third<\/p>\n

quarter includes the months of January, February and March. Total research<\/p>\n

funding for the year is now $38.8 million a 9 percent increase over last<\/p>\n

years record-breaking $35.7 million after three quarters.<\/p>\n

It is very gratifying to see the continuing outstanding success of<\/p>\n

venerable UNMC investigators such as Ercole Cavalieri and Tim Baxter; and<\/p>\n

the impressive development of newer UNMC investigators like Keith Johnson<\/p>\n

and Dhirendra Singh, said Thomas Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for<\/p>\n

research for UNMC. This kind of mix will assure the success of the Research<\/p>\n

Strategic Plan for growth of the UNMC research enterprise.<\/p>\n

Twenty-five investigators received grants worth $100,000 or more in<\/p>\n

the third quarter. Among the highlights:<\/p>\n

Ercole Cavalieri, Ph.D., professor and director of the University of<\/p>\n

Nebraska Center for Environmental Toxocology, received $1,538,505 for breast<\/p>\n

cancer research.  His investigation has discovered that breast cancer<\/p>\n

is initiated by the reaction of one specific estrogen derivative with DNA. <\/p>\n

This important finding has led the research team to devise strategies for<\/p>\n

preventing breast cancer initiation by preventing this reaction. <\/p>\n

In addition, the project deals with the identification of biomarkers that<\/p>\n

reveal susceptibility to cancer initiation.<\/p>\n

Keith Johnson, Ph.D., professor in the department of oral biology in<\/p>\n

the College of Dentistry, received $341,775 to study aspects of oral squamous<\/p>\n

cell carcinoma, a type of head and neck cancer. Cancers of the head and<\/p>\n

neck often result in patient morbidity because treatment frequently causes<\/p>\n

obvious cosmetic changes or negatively impacts basic functions such as<\/p>\n

swallowing or speech. Oral squamous cell carcinomas are invasive, and the<\/p>\n

research is trying to understand why the cells become invasive.  Alterations<\/p>\n

in how a cell recognizes and adheres to its neighbors contribute to the<\/p>\n

cells ability to migrate through underlying tissue. The research focuses<\/p>\n

on cadherins, a family of proteins that mediate cell to cell adhesion.<\/p>\n

Lani Zimmerman, Ph.D., chairperson of the department of adult health<\/p>\n

and illness in the College of Nursing, received $338,100 to test the effectiveness<\/p>\n

of a home health device in improving the management of symptoms in older<\/p>\n

patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The experimental<\/p>\n

group uses the Health Buddy, a small communication device that attaches<\/p>\n

to the phone line, like a telephone answering machine. The device delivers<\/p>\n

personalized health care information and questions to patients. Patients<\/p>\n

use the device for six weeks.  Researchers are testing the effectiveness<\/p>\n

of the Health Buddy to monitor and manage symptoms, as well as potential<\/p>\n

complications, by comparing each groups physical and social functioning,<\/p>\n

and problems encountered after surgery. They also will measure the number<\/p>\n

of visits to seek health care, including re-hospitalization, as well as<\/p>\n

patient satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Dhirendra Singh, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of ophthalmology,<\/p>\n

received $294,000 to study the eye lens.  Dr. Singh studies the eye<\/p>\n

lens because it represents one of the best biological systems, with its<\/p>\n

unique structural and metabolic features, to study the mechanism of aging.<\/p>\n

The epithelial cells covering the anterior region of the lens survive a<\/p>\n

lifetime, but the survival mechanism isnt understood.  Human bodies<\/p>\n

are exposed routinely to oxidizing chemicals and radiation from the environment,<\/p>\n

as well as metabolic by-products, that can damage DNA and proteins over<\/p>\n

the life span of the cell.  Such damage may contribute to cell death,<\/p>\n

tissue injury, promote aging and is implicated in many chronic degenerative<\/p>\n

human diseases, including age-related cataracts a very important disease<\/p>\n

of the aging population in the U.S. and worldwide. His investigation has<\/p>\n

discovered two proteins, Lens Epithelium-Derived Growth Factor (LEDGF)<\/p>\n

and Antioxidant Protein 2 (AOP2). This important finding may lead to develop<\/p>\n

strategies in postponing the aging or age related degenerative disorders.<\/p>\n

Yuri Persidsky, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the department of<\/p>\n

pathology\/microbiology, received $294,000 to study the role of brain microvascular<\/p>\n

cells (cells at the interface between blood and brain tissue) in the infiltration<\/p>\n

of the brain by white blood cells (leukocytes). It is believed that the<\/p>\n

accumulation of HIV-1 infected leukocytes in the brain and their production<\/p>\n

of neurotoxic substances are responsible for the HIV-1 associated dementia<\/p>\n

seen in patients with AIDS. The final goal of these studies is to develop<\/p>\n

new treatments for HIV-1 brain infection, targeting leukocyte migration<\/p>\n

into the brain.<\/p>\n

Tim Baxter, M.D., professor in the department of surgery, received $203,523<\/p>\n

to investigate the factors that lead to formation and progression of aortic<\/p>\n

aneurysms. Aortic aneurysms are a ballooning of the main artery in the<\/p>\n

abdomen. Rupture and bleeding from aneurysms is the 13th leading cause<\/p>\n

of death in the United States. Aneurysms are very common affecting 2<\/p>\n

percent of individuals over age 65 but they are a silent killer as there<\/p>\n

are no symptoms present until the rupture occurs. Aortic aneurysms run<\/p>\n

in families and are usually detected by X-rays taken for other medical<\/p>\n

conditions. Research has shown that doxycycline, the well-known antibiotic,<\/p>\n

inhibits aneurysm development in an animal model. Doxycycline has the unusual<\/p>\n

property of blocking two enzymes important to aneurysm development and<\/p>\n

may be a possible medication to inhibit the growth of small aneurysms in<\/p>\n

patients.<\/p>\n

uc v JY QpfsWep QI <\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Nebraska Medical Center received $12 million in federal research grants during the third quarter of fiscal year 2002-03. The third quarter includes the months of January, February and March. Total research funding for the year is now $38.8 million a 9 percent increase over last years record-breaking $35.7 million after three quarters. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\nUNMC Third Quarter Research Grants Total $12 Million<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The University of Nebraska Medical Center received $12 million in federal research grants during the third quarter of fiscal year 2002-03. 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