Mayfield Education & Research Foundation Awards Target Hydrocephalus, DIPG, and Stroke

The Mayfield Education & Research Foundation has awarded three grants totaling $158,800 to researchers at universities and medical centers throughout the Midwest. The grants, which target hydrocephalus, pediatric brain cancer, and stroke, were awarded through a competitive process during the 2017 grant cycle. They were announced by William Tobler, MD, Mayfield Foundation Chair.

The research projects awarded are:

Development of Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus

Yost Lab

Principal Investigator Bonnie Blazer-Yost, PhD, and Co-Principal Investigators Daniel Fulkerson, MD, and Paul Territo, PhD, at the School of Science at IUPUI and Indiana University School of Medicine received $59,318 to develop an effective pharmaceutical treatment for hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus occurs when an abnormal amount of cerebrospinal fluid collects in the brain's ventricles. It may result from trauma, infection, tumors, or as a birth defect. It is a common reason for brain surgeries in children. Today, the only treatment for hydrocephalus is brain surgery. This study will utilize MRI imaging in animal models of hydrocephalus to determine whether interfering with the processes responsible for the production of cerebrospinal fluid could be effective for treatment of the disease in a safe manner.

Role of Repressed Tumor Suppressor Genes in DIPG Treatment Resistance

Lober Lab

Principal Investigator Robert Lober, MD, PhD, and Co-Principal Investigator Thomas Brown, PhD, at Wright State University Boonshoft School Medicine and Dayton Children's Hospital received $48,500 to study the role of genes in new treatments for the deadly pediatric brain tumor DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma). The project aims to identify critical molecular mediators of DIPG treatment resistance and to understand how gene expression affects tumor growth and treatment resistance.

DIPG is a terminal form of childhood cancer. There is currently no surgical intervention, and clinical trials have been unsuccessful and ineffective. The researchers seek to gain a new understanding of preferential gene repression at critical loci as the foundation for studying ways in which treatment is resisted. Their goal is to bring about a new paradigm of therapies based on tumor gene expression patterns.

An Aptamer Based Therapeutic To Treat Thrombosisz

Nimjee Lab

Principal Investigator Shahid Nimjee, MD, PhD, and Co-Principal Investigators Zhong-Lin Lu, PhD, Robert Hamlin, DVM, PhD, Cameron Rink, PhD, and Jay Zweier, MD, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center received $51,000 for cardiovascular research for pre-clinical stroke therapies.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the Western world. Current therapies require treatment within a few short hours of symptom onset and frequently result in bleeding complications. This research aims to develop novel anti-platelet drugs that prevent and/or lyse occlusive thrombi to improve patient outcomes following a stroke.

Mayfield Education & Research Foundation research grants are awarded once a year. Grants are selected for their potential to spark a fire of success in further research and funding. Over the past five years, Mayfield Foundation grantees have leveraged their initial data into millions of dollars in awards from federal funders.