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MHH project wins start-up funding competition organised by Lower Saxony research incubator Institute for Biomedical Translation Lower Saxony.
The Institute for Biomedical Translation Lower Saxony (IBT) is a research incubator that aims to bring cutting-edge biomedical research into clinical practice. To this end, the IBT awarded start-up funding of around 2.5 million euros in its fifth funding round. Seven research projects took part in the final round of the competition for funding, and the jury selected two winners. One of these is the ‘RNA Healer’ project led by Professor Amar Deep Sharma, head of the RNA Therapeutics & Liver Regeneration working group at the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School (MHH). Together with his team, he is developing an RNA-based drug for people with advanced chronic liver fibrosis and has received around one million euros in funding for this project.
The aim is to reduce devastating scarring and improve liver function in the long term. ‘The funding is another big step towards a clinical trial,’ says Professor Sharma. MHH President Professor Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner is also delighted with the success: ‘The project is a shining example of the cutting-edge clinical research at MHH, with which we are paving the way for the healthcare of the future.’
In addition, the ‘Citrapeutics’ project at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig received funding of 1.4 million euros. The research team aims to revolutionise cancer treatment and establish a novel oral immunotherapy. The funding will enable the two winning teams to clinically test their research results as quickly as possible and make them commercially successful by founding start-ups.
New anti-fibrotic therapies needed
mRNA copies the genetic information contained in our genetic material, DNA. The copy then serves as a template for the construction of proteins, the building blocks of life. In his research, Professor Sharma uses mRNA to treat liver fibrosis. Fibrosis occurs when liver tissue is remodelled and scarred due to certain liver diseases. ‘Progressive fibrosis increasingly impairs liver function and can lead to cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure or cancer,’ explains the scientist. More than 280,000 people die from this disease every year in Europe. ‘The lack of approved drugs that can effectively treat liver fibrosis requires the rapid development of new anti-fibrotic therapies.’ The IBT funding will now help to investigate promising mRNA therapy candidates for liver-specific diseases in a clinical trial. The scientist also receives support from clinic director Professor Dr Heiner Wedemeyer: ‘RNA therapeutics have enormous potential for the treatment of liver fibrosis, regardless of the cause. As head of the clinic, I am determined to fully support ‘RNA Healer’ on its scientific path to clinical development.’
Start-up funding for founding
In addition to the MHH and the HZI, Leibniz University Hannover, Georg August University of Göttingen and Göttingen University Medical Centre also took part in the fifth round of the IBT competition. Seven teams made it to the final round, including the MHH project ‘ReMyeMe’. It is developing new ways to treat inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis and similar diseases using polysialic acid (PolySia).
The two newly funded IBT projects will receive a total of around 2.5 million euros in funding over a period of two years. The first phase of funding focuses on rapid scientific and market-oriented development so that the research idea can be turned into a business idea and a company can be founded in the near future with a sound business plan. The focus will then be on starting business operations and securing further external financing. With the two new projects, there are now ten projects with total funding of almost one million euros in the IBT portfolio.
SERVICE
For further information please contact Professor Amar Deep Sharma, sharma.amar@mh-hannover.de.
Professor Amar Deep Sharma and Professor Michael Ott are delighted to receive around one million eur ...
Copyright: Marek Kruszewski.
Professor Amar Deep Sharma.
Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH.
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