Scientists are developing advanced tools to understand and treat neurological symptoms such as brain fog associated with respiratory diseases such as influenza. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has awarded University of Rochester researchers a three-year contract. Develop techniques to model the effects of respiratory diseases on the brain and test therapeutics to prevent and treat symptoms. Funding for the base year is $2.4 million with two option years totaling $7.1 million if fully funded.
This project uses microphysiological systems (MPS). A tiny chip with an ultra-thin membrane that supports a 3D network of human cells. Also known as a “tissue chip”, it simulates infection and treatment in vitro. This tissue chip will incorporate human lung and brain tissue models.
“This is a new step in making disease modeling and drug discovery focused from the start on more complex, human-relevant systems,” said the professor, who has joint appointments in biomedical engineering, biochemistry and biophysics. said lead researcher Benjamin Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Rochester. , optics, materials science.
These chips help speed up the entire drug discovery process. ”
Benjamin Miller, University of Rochester
The project builds on research at the recently established Translational Center for Barrier Microphysiological Systems (TraCe-bMPS) in Rochester, which has developed FDA-cleared drugs to study the body’s barrier function in fighting disease. Building development tools. The center was established earlier this year with a $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Co-investigator James McGrath, William R. Kennan Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of TraCe-bMPS, will use microphysiological systems to investigate the mechanisms by which inflammatory factors enter the brain through the circulation and cause damage. are researching. The new project, funded by BARDA, will link two of McGrath’s modular, mass-manufacturable chips that specialize in mimicking different organs.
“In this project, we will connect this ‘brain’ chip upstream to a second chip that models infected lungs, a common source of these harmful factors,” McGrath says. “We are excited to work with the highly interdisciplinary Rochester team and BARDA to develop this new scientifically important tool.”
Like Long COVID, common viruses like the flu can cause chronic symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, and enduring pain. This project provides a new way to investigate the relationship between the lungs and the brain.
“The respiratory tract contains wired conduits for cells, body fluids, and the brain, and serves as the first line of defense against emerging infectious disease threats due to zoonotic spillover,” said the co-author. , said Harris “Handy” Gelbard, director of the center. Discovery of neurotherapeutics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “We and our collaborators, with support from the National Institute on Aging, hope to apply therapeutics to improve neurological diseases, especially in older adults who are more susceptible to these infections. We have been working on these mechanisms for the past few years, and now, thanks to our world-class in-house team of experts in lab-on-a-chip development, we have a unique opportunity to rapidly advance research into new lung-to-brain chips. ”
David Dean, professor of pediatrics, biomedical engineering, pharmacology and physiology, has been studying the disease processes that lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in hopes of developing new treatments for this devastating disease. I did.
“To study this, we had to use cultured cells from the lungs, which are most often grown and studied in isolation. This is far from the situation in the lungs that works and allows us to do our research, so this is an overly simplistic model,” says Dean, a co-investigator on the project. “On the flip side, we’ve used animal models to test hypotheses and drugs that we’re developing, but there are so many different things going on that it’s difficult to control or understand these models. It is very difficult to attribute a reaction to a cause through a single pathway, leading to systems that are almost too complex. ”
He said this new approach is a win-win solution that allows researchers to mimic the complex interactions between the lung’s major cell types in a controlled manner.
Marie Curran Wilson Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and David Topham, Joseph Chamberlain Wilson Professor and Director of the Institute of Translational Immunology and Infectious Diseases, also served as co-investigators, along with Donald & Co. of Orthopedics.・Hani Awad, Mary Clark Distinguished Professor and professor, will also serve as a co-researcher. in biomedical engineering and works as a consultant. The team will work with Phlotonics, a spinout of the University of Rochester, to perform medium-throughput measurements and with SIMPore to develop the chip.
The project lasted three years, and by the end of the first year, the team had demonstrated that they could link the tissue chip system with immune cells, infect lung chips with influenza, and observe inflammatory responses in brain chips. I’m aiming for it. This project is supported in whole or in part by federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services. Management for strategic preparedness and response. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Contract No. 75A50124C00040.
Elected officials express support for innovative technology development
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer: “I am thrilled to see our nation’s researchers at the forefront of groundbreaking medical innovation with this significant $7.1 million award from the Department of Health and Human Services. This investment speaks volumes about the world-class research taking place here in Rochester.”By developing microchips that mimic brain and lung tissue, our scientists are improving respiratory and respiratory diseases. We are pioneering new ways to understand and address their effects on the brain, which could revolutionize the treatment of these diseases. To achieve more effective treatments and ultimately save lives, I am committed to the federal government’s commitment to scientific advances that can change the future of medicine and improve public health outcomes for all people. We will continue to advocate for support. ”
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: “University of Rochester researchers are leading the way in disease modeling and drug discovery. I have received federal funding to support University of Rochester researchers’ innovative work that will help develop cutting-edge techniques to model the effects and find ways to prevent and treat the condition. We will continue to fight to secure funding. ”
Congressman Joe Morrell: “The University of Rochester continues to drive groundbreaking research, innovation, and scientific advances in the world of medicine. This important federal award is further testament to their leadership and limitless potential.” I commend the team of researchers at the University of Rochester for their outstanding work, which will change the way we fight disease. ”
