Research grants net $1.3 million in February

Here are some of the key research awards received by College of Medicine faculty during February.  These eight new research awards represent $1.3 million in new funding.

Industry-sponsored contracts

The following industry-sponsored contracts were received. Information on clinical trials enrolling patients at UNMC can be found here.

Diana Florescu, M.D., internal medicine and infectious diseases, and Kari Simonsen, M.D., pediatrics infectious diseases, are managing aspects of a clinical trial to determine the safety and effectiveness in pediatric subjects of a new generation antibiotic which has known effectiveness in treating gram positive bacterial infections in adults. This study is currently enrolling participants at both UNMC and Children’s Hospital sites.

Edward Faber Jr., D.O., internal medicine-oncology/hematology, is the UNMC lead for a newly FDA-approved chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of multiple myeloma.  Expanded access is currently available for this treatment.

Julie Vose, M.D., internal medicine-oncology/hematology, is the UNMC lead for a clinical trial on the safety and efficacy of a new monotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma who have received prior therapy. This study is currently recruiting patients. 

Julie Vose, M.D., internal medicine-oncology/hematology, is the UNMC lead for a clinical trial on the safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics, biomarkers and efficacy of a single chemotherapeutic agent in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoid malignancies. UNMC is one of only five sites nationwide for this study, which is currently recruiting participants.

Jue Wang, M.D., internal medicine-oncology/hematology, is the UNMC lead for a clinical trial to compare the effect of a single chemotherapeutic agent versus a combination therapeutic regime on pain response and bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. This study is currently recruiting participants.

Samuel Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., pathology & microbiology, is evaluating the threshold level of arsenic in U.S. produced rice.

John Colombo, M.D., pediatrics pulmonology, is the UNMC lead for a clinical trial to evaluate the safety of long-term CFTR modulator therapy in subjects with cystic fibrosis. This study is currently recruiting participants.

Other notable research

John Sparks, M.D., chairman, pediatrics, has received a $600,000 award from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for his public service work with the Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes.