Grants

December 2021

1. STEM Cell Biobank. Gouri J. Mahajan, PhD (PI) and Abelardo Medina, MD, PhD and Amol Janorkar, PhD (Co-PIs)
   
   We aim to isolate adipose cells from discarded human adipose tissue to develop a new engineering approach to build in vivo-like tissues outside the body.

November 2021

1. CACNA1C Genotype: Correlation with Brain and Blood Levels of CACNA1C and Treatment Responsiveness, Harry Pantazopoulos, PhD, PI. Baszucki Brain Research Foundation, $200,000.
   
   These studies will test the role of CACNA1C genetic polymorphisms in the neuropathology and treatment responsiveness of people with Bipolar Disorder. Specifically, these studies will test the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms in the CACNA1C gene can be used to identify a subgroup of people with bipolar disorder who will benefit from calcium channel blockers. These studies aim to link CACNA1C genotype with blood and brain levels of CACNA1C and with responsiveness to treatments such as lithium, with the goal of establishing a foundation for use of calcium channel blockers for people with bipolar disorder based on CACNA1C genotype and blood levels of CACNA1C.

October 2021

1. Diurnal Molecular Rhythms of the Human Hypothalamus and Involvement in Bipolar Disorder, Harry Pantazopoulos, PhD, PI. National Institutes of Health, $1,580,000.
   
   The proposed research aims to identify cell specific diurnal rhythms of molecular clock molecules and neuropeptides in the human hypothalamus and disruption in bipolar disorder as a first step in identifying the neuropathological correlates of circadian dysfunction in subjects with bipolar disorder. These human postmortem studies will provide a foundation of hypothalamic diurnal rhythms in human subjects and key insight into the neuropathology of the hypothalamus in bipolar disorder, a region critically involved in circadian rhythm regulation.

September 2021

1. Endothelial PHD2 in hypertensive vascular remodeling, Jian-Xiong Chen, MD, National Institutes of Health (R01), $1,550,000.
   
   The objectives of this application are to explore the vascular endothelial oxygen sensor prolyl hydroxylase-2 (PHD2) and hypoxic signaling in the regulation of pericyte phenotype, pericyte-fibroblast transition, arterial stiffness and vascular calcification in hypertension and diabetes.

June 2021 

1. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) ($1.82 million)
   
   Saver, Dustin, Principal Investigator. MAGNOLIA: Expanding Child and Family Integrated Behavioral Healthcare in Mississippi.
   
   The MAGNOLIA clinical training program in integrated behavioral healthcare at UMMC was awarded a competitive continuation grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for $1.82 million to support the clinical training behavioral health trainees from 2021 to 2025. MAGNOLIA provides externships at UMMC to doctoral psychology students from the clinical, school, or counseling psychology programs in Mississippi, and with the new award will expand the number of training slots and two additional tracks: an internship for professional counselor interns and a doctoral psychology resident position. The program will provide intensive training in integrated behavioral healthcare in both specialist and general (primary care, school-based) settings to provide experience and services to underserved children and families.

April 2021

1. Evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells and their cell reprogramming potential within microsurgical flaps. Abelardo Medina, MD. NIH/NIGMS/UMMC COBRE grant 2020 (P20GM104357)
   
   Even though it is widely accepted that CD34+ adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are in a “niche” in the adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF) to provide cells for multiple somatic determinations, there is no conclusive evidence of any local inductive factor or uneven intracellular distribution of fate determinants that trigger an asymmetric division of ADSCs into daughter cells. Numerous authors have demonstrated that the type of surgery, changes in the harvesting techniques, and variation in the culture media composition can alter not only the distribution of cell subsets, but also their basic features, viability, and peripheral functions. In this multifactorial equation, the impact of the non-physiological conditions experienced during the current fat tissue harvesting procedures on the profile of isolated cells and their differentiation capacities remains unknown. In this regard, the current practice for tissue harvesting (abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures) provide specimens that were under considerable time of ischemia and hypoxia along with under the effect of local medications (i.e., epinephrine, lidocaine, sodium bicarbonate, etc.). This modified environment may affect the recruitment, proliferative potential, gene expression and final determination of stem/precursor cells.

March 2021

1. Chronic Venous Thrombosis: Relief with Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Therapy (C-TARCT) Ajinkya Desai, MD, NIH funded multicenter RCT
   
   The primary goal of the trial is to evaluate the efficacy of iliac venous stenting in patient who have moderate to severe post-thrombotic syndrome due to chronic iliofemoral DVT. 

February 2021

1. P20GM104357; (Medina, Abelardo, $ 40,000)
   
   NIH/NIGMS/UMMC COBRE Grant 2020
   
   Principal investigator of the project entitled “Evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells and their cell reprogramming potential within microsurgical flaps.”
   
   Even though it is widely accepted that CD34+ adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are in a “niche” in the adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF) to provide cells for multiple somatic determinations, there is no conclusive evidence of any local inductive factor or uneven intracellular distribution of fate determinants that trigger an asymmetric division of ADSCs into daughter cells. Numerous authors have demonstrated that the type of surgery, changes in the harvesting techniques, and variation in the culture media composition can alter not only the distribution of cell subsets, but also their basic features, viability, and peripheral functions. In this multifactorial equation, the impact of the non-physiological conditions experienced during the current fat tissue harvesting procedures on the profile of isolated cells and their differentiation capacities remains unknown. In this regard, the current practice for tissue harvesting (abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures) provide specimens that were under considerable time of ischemia and hypoxia along with under the effect of local medications (i.e., epinephrine, lidocaine, sodium bicarbonate, etc.). This modified environment may affect the recruitment, proliferative potential, gene expression and final determination of stem/precursor cells.
   
   
2. P20GM104357; (Medina, Abelardo, $ 40,000)
   
   NIH/NIGMS/UMMC COBRE grant 2021
   
   Principal investigator of the project entitled “Evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells and their cell reprogramming potential within microsurgical flaps.”