hitblaze

BlazemanFoundationProvides$200,000toProduceCriticalProteinUsedinLouGehrig'sDiseaseResearchatWakeForestBaptistMedicalCenterWINSTON-SALEM,N.
C.
–June25,2013–Sometimesfundingresearchisnotabouttestingthesafetyoreffectivenessofapotentialdrug,deviceorbiologicaltherapyinanimalsorhumans.
Sometimesfundingresearchisaboutdeterminingifaparticularproteincanbeproducedinacost-effectivemannerfortreatingpatients.
TheALSResearchGroupatWakeForestBaptistMedicalCenter,ledbyresearcherCarolMilligan,Ph.
D.
,neurobiologyandanatomy,islookingforwaystotreatAmyotrophicLateralSclerosis(ALS),morecommonlyknownasLouGehrig'sdisease.
Herrecentwork,using"heatshock"proteinstohelpcontrolmusclemovement,showedthattheiruseinmicedelayedtheonsetofALSsymptomsandextendedsurvivaltimes.
HeatshockproteinshelppreventthedestructionofmotorneuronsthatcanresultinanumberofneurologicaldiseasesincludingALS.
ALSisaprogressiveneurodegenerativediseasethataffectsnervecellsinthebrainandthespinalcord.
Motorneuronsreachfromthebraintothespinalcordandfromthespinalcordtothemusclesthroughoutthebody.
Whenthemotorneuronsdie,theabilityofthebraintoinitiateandcontrolmusclemovementislost.
Withvoluntarymuscleactionprogressivelyaffected,patientsinthelaterstagesofthediseasemaybecometotallyparalyzed,unabletoevenbreatheontheirown.
TheprogressivedegenerationofthemotorneuronsinALSeventuallyleadstodeath.
Lastyear,Milliganhitaroadblockwhenthecosttopurchaseheatshockproteinsbecametooexpensivetocontinueherpromisingresearch.
Sheneededtofindawaytoeasilyandeconomicallyreproducetheheatshockproteins.
Mostprivatecompanieswon'tconsidercommercializationofaproductthatisnotproven,eveniftheproductshowspromiseinearlyresearchstudies.
MilliganfoundapartnerinWakeForestInnovations,thecommercializationarmofWakeForestBaptist,whichhastheresourcestoproducetheproteinanddeterminetheviabilityofacommercializedproduct,butshestillneededthefundingtodoit.
Anditwouldbecostly.
InspiteofsupportfromWakeForestBaptist'sDepartmentofNeurologyandALSCenter,shestillneededatleastanadditional$200,000tobegintotranslatethebasicscienceofanimalstudytoclinicaltrialinhumans.
EntertheBlazemanFoundation.
TheMassachusetts-basednon-profitisafamilyfoundationstartedinmemoryofthelateJonathan"Blazeman"Blais.
Blais,whowasdiagnosedwithALSatage33,wasatriathletewhodiedofthedisease.
Thefoundation'smissionistoraiseawarenessaboutALSbyleveragingtheenergy,commitmentandcompassionofthemulti-sportcommunity,toraisethenecessaryfundstobedirectedintocutting-edgescientificresearchtofindtreatmentsandaneventualcureforALS.
Thefoundation'sapproachtoresearchfundingisunique.
Itfundspromisingprojectsthatnooneelseisworkingon.
"BobandIareexcitedtoparticipateinthiscollaborativeresearchprojectatWake.
.
.
havingworkedwithCarolonapreviousprojectwehavealltheconfidencethattheoutcomewillbevaluableforALSresearch,"saidMaryAnnBlais,Jon'smomandvicepresidentandeventcoordinatorfortheBlazemanFoundation.
Fortunately,Milligan'sresearchfitthefamilyfoundation'svision,anditprovidedmorethan$200,000infundingfortheheatshockproteinproductionproject.
Duringthetwo-yearproject,WakeForestBaptist'sALSResearchGroupwilldevelopareliableandreproducibleproceduretomakeandpurifytheprotein.
Oncetheproteinismade,itwillbetestedinmultipleassaystoassurethatithasthecorrectstructureandfunction.
PreliminaryexperimentswillbeperformedatWakeForestBaptisttoconfirmthattheproteinworksasexpectedinthemousemodelofALS,andthentheproteinwillbesentforindependentconfirmationatanotherlaboratory.
TheworkthatresultsfromthisBlazeman-WakeForestBaptistcollaborativeprojectwilllayafoundationforlarge-scaleproteinproductionandclinicaltrial.
PhotoofDr.
Milliganandherstaffisavailableonrequest.
Mediacontacts:ChadCampbell,chacampb@wakehealth.
edu,336-716-6184;PaulaFaria,pfaria@wakehealth.
edu,336-716-1279ortheMediaRelationsOffice,336-716-4587.
WakeForestBaptistMedicalCenter(www.
wakehealth.
edu)isafullyintegratedacademicmedicalcenterlocatedinWinston-Salem,NorthCarolina.
TheinstitutioncomprisesthemedicaleducationandresearchcomponentsofWakeForestSchoolofMedicine,theintegratedclinicalstructureandconsumerbrandWakeForestBaptistHealth,whichincludesNorthCarolinaBaptistHospitalandBrennerChildren'sHospital,thecreationandcommercializationofresearchdiscoveriesintoproductsthatbenefitpatientsandimprovehealthandwellness,throughWakeForestInnovations(WakeForestInnovations.
com),WakeForestInnovationQuarter(WakeForestInnovationQuarter.
com),aleadingcenteroftechnologicaldiscovery,developmentandcommercialization,aswellasanetworkofaffiliatedcommunity-basedhospitals,physicianpractices,outpatientservicesandothermedicalfacilities.
WakeForestSchoolofMedicineisrankedamongthenation'sbestmedicalschoolsandisaleadingnationalresearchcenterinfieldssuchasregenerativemedicine,cancer,neuroscience,aging,addictionandpublichealthsciences.
WakeForestBaptist'sclinicalprogramshaveconsistentlyrankedasamongthebestinthecountrybyU.
S.
News&WorldReportforthepast20years.
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