TEDCO Awards $1 Million in New Stem Cell Projects Announces $7 Million in New Request for Applications

By Sandy Dubay | Oct 5, 2017

 

 

COLUMBIA, Md. (October 5, 2017) – The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (Commission) approved funding for four awards totaling $1,060,000.  With the robust activity in stem cell research in Maryland, the Commission approved the first of two rounds of applications this year for the Validation and Commercialization Programs to accelerate getting solutions to patients.

Established by the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) promotes State-funded stem cell research and aims to accelerate cures through grants to both public and private entities in Maryland.

“The awards represent some of the most promising scientific advances in cellular and regenerative medicine.” said David Mosser, Ph.D., chair of the Commission. “These awardees, which include commercialization and validation projects, are at the leading edge of medical innovation and demonstrate the purpose and mission of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund.”

Both the Commission and the MSCRF are administered by TEDCO, the go-to source for entrepreneurial support and guidance for start-ups and early-stage companies engaged in bringing innovative ideas to market.

“Thus far, more than $140 million has been allocated to over 400 projects through our stem cell programs,” stated George Davis, TEDCO chief executive officer. “From cardiovascular diseases, to neurodegenerative conditions, to rare genetic disorders, we are seeing advancements in therapies that will transform lives.”

The MSCRF awards include:

  • 2 Commercialization: These awards assist with the creation of start-up companies or new technologies developed in Maryland-based companies. Totaling $600,000, the commercialization award recipients are LifeSprout, LLC, located in Baltimore, and RoosterBio Inc, located in Frederick.
  • 2 Validation: These grant awards foster the transition of promising stem cell technologies having significant commercial potential from universities and research labs to the commercial sector. Totaling $460,000, this year’s validation awards are presented to Elias Zambidis, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) to validate and commercialize a culture medium for deriving a new class of human stem cells; and to Chulan Kwon, Ph.D., of JHM to scale up stem cell derived mature cells for improved disease modeling and drug discovery.

“Request for Applications for all five stem cell programs— Discovery, Validation, Commercialization, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, and Clinical— totaling $7 million are open,” stated Dan Gincel, Ph.D., TEDCO vice president of University Partnerships and MSCRF executive director. “Many of our awardees will be presenting at the Stem Cell Symposium and Entrepreneur Expo on October 25.”

 

Maryland’s pioneering scientists and innovative entrepreneurs are able to hear from these inspirational symposium presenters sharing information about tissue engineering, advances in stem cell product and development, disease modeling, and the road to clinical trials. For more information about the Symposium and Expo, visit http://expo.tedco.md.

For more information about the new RFA, visit www.MSCRF.org.  For more details about the stem cell fund and the recent reward recipients, visit 

http://www.mscrf.org/content/awardees/2018Awardees.php.

About the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission  

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) was established by the State of Maryland under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006 to promote State-funded stem cell research and cures through grants and loans to public and private entities in the State. Administered by The Maryland Technology Development Corporation, the MSCRF is overseen by an independent Commission that sets policy and develops criteria, standards and requirements for applications to the Fund. For more information about the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, please visit www.mscrf.org.

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) is the go-to source for entrepreneurial support and guidance for start-ups and early-stage companies engaged in bringing innovative ideas to market. For over nineteen years, the organization has provided funding, mentoring and networking opportunities to support Maryland’s innovation ecosystem. The organization plays a key role in bringing research created in Maryland’s educational institutions and federal laboratories into the commercial marketplace. For more information about TEDCO and its programs and resources, visit www.TEDCO.md.  

 

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