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ANNOUNCEMENT | 2022 TSF GRANT RECIPIENTS

Posted by: The Sumaira Foundation in News & Announcements

December 21, 2022 — The Sumaira Foundation is pleased to announce the first round of awardees of TSF’s 2022 research grants. Congratulations to all the researchers who will each be awarded with $25,000 to initiate their projects!

The Implication of the Microglial Inflammasome in AQP4-IgG-Mediated Astrocytopathy

Principle Investigators | Friedemann Paul, MD, Carmen Infante Duarte, PhD, Veronika E. Neubrand, PhD

Institution | Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany)

Aim 1 | To investigate the involvement of inflammasome in NMOSD, by detecting pyroptosis and the inflammasome effector cytokine IL1β in microglia-mediated astrocytic damage by AQP4-IgG

Aim II | To study whether inhibition of inflammasome and its effectors may protect astrocytes from inflammasome-mediated damage

Award Amount | $25,000

Vascular Disease and Imaging Findings in NMOSD & MOGAD

Principle Investigators | Jacqueline Palace, MD, PhD, Ruth Geraldes, MD, PhD, David Berhanu, MD 

Institution | University of Oxford (UK)

Aim I | Assess the correlation between vascular risk factors and MRI lesion resolution

Aim II | Determine the distribution of MRI lesion resolution across CNS locations associated with vascular risk factors

Aim III | Determine the association between vascular risk factors and other MRI findings

Award Amount | $25,000

Myelin Basic Protein as a Potential Biomarker for MOGAD

Principle Investigator | Sara Mariotto, MD, PhD

Institution | Università di Verona (Italy)

Aim | To develop a novel potential biomarker to measure disease activity and predict outcome in adult patients with MOGAD

Award Amount | $25,000

Frequency and Burdens of Misdiagnosis in NMOSD: National Population-Based Study

Principle Investigator | Stacey Clardy, MD, PhD, Ka-Ho Wong, PhD student, MBA

Institution | University of Utah (US)

Aim I | Determine the frequency of misdiagnosis of NMOSD patients as MS, and the point prevalence of misdiagnosis in different geographic census regions

Aim II | Identify the frequency of utilization of FDA-approved MS therapies in misdiagnosed NMOSD patients

Aim III | Understand the cost of misdiagnosis of NMOSD patients

Award Amount | $25,000

Serum Biomarkers for Relapse Prediction in MOGAD

Principle Investigator | Sebastian Lopez, MD

Institution | Mayo Clinic Florida (US)

Aim I | Develop serological biomarkers to predict relapses in patients with MOGAD

Aim II | Pilot the tolerability of cervical lymph node aspirations in MOGAD patients and their value in MOG-IgG determination

Award Amount | $25,000

NMOSD/MOGAD & Genetic Susceptibility: Differences Between Populations

Principle Investigator | José Rivera, MD, MSc

Institution | National Autonomous University of Mexico (Mexico), National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery

Aim I | Establish a biobank between sites in Los Angeles and México City (using epidemiological and socioeconomical data)

Aim II | Include 100 DNA samples (50 from Los Angeles and 50 from México City)

Award Amount | $25,000

Characterizing Genetic Risk Relationships in NMOSD

Principle Investigator | Farren Briggs, PhD

Institution | Case Western Reserve University

Aim I | Characterize the genetic risk component of NMOSD in a multi-ethic population

Aim II | Determine the causal relationships between obesity and vitamin D insufficiency and NMOSD risk

Award Amount | $25,000