More than $860,000 in grant awards received by the University of Nebraska Medical Center during the second quarter of the 1997-98 fiscal year will fund research in the battle against AIDS.
The grants follow breakthrough AIDS research at UNMC that led to the development last fall of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Diseases, which was created to concentrate resources from six disciplines and three universities on fighting diseases of the brain that can lead to dementia.
One of the grants for $339,943 will provide research into the clincal viability of certain antibodies in the treatment of AIDS. A $219,000 grant will seek to expand the success of vaccines used to promote HIV immunity. Both grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among other agencies.
Two more grants, both awarded by the University of Minnesota, will target other aspects of the AIDS fight. One will provide access to clinical trials for people suffering from the disease. The other will test a drug’s ability to reduce the amount of HIV in the blood.
The grants are part of $3.83 million in awards received by UNMC researchers during the quarter. Grant awards during October, November and December pushed the year-to-date grant award total to more than $17 million. The year-to-date total is almost $4 million ahead of last year at $17,147,179.
The research funding received by UNMC during the quarter breaks down as follows:
• Federal sources — $2,586,467
• Industry sources — $332,482
• State sources — $25,979
• Other sources — $885,417
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state. Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $25 million in research grants and contracts are consistently awarded to UNMC scientists annually. In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.