Awarded Grants
Awarded Grants
ASO therapy in CDKL5 deficiency disorder
Michela Fagiolini, PhD
Boston Children's Hospital
$150,000
Awardee: Michela Fagiolini, PhD
Institution: Boston Children's Hospital
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Comparison of Brain Biodistribution of Two CDKL5 Gene Therapy Vector Leads
Dolan Sondhi, PhD
Weill Cornell Medicine
$150,000
Awardee: Dolan Sondhi, PhD
Institution: Weill Cornell Medicine
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Advancing a mosaic CDKL5 zebrafish model for high-throughput screening approaches
Christopher McGraw, MD, PhD
Boston Children's Hospital
$150,000
Awardee: Christopher McGraw, MD, PhD
Institution: Boston Children's Hospital
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Defining ciliary signaling and targets in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder
Peter K. Jackson, PhD
Stanford University School of Medicine
$150,000
Awardee: Peter K. Jackson, PhD
Institution: Stanford University School of Medicine
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Impact of Cdkl5 deficiency on cortical dynamics and network architecture
Michael J. Higley, MD, PhD
Yale University
$150,000
Awardee: Michael J. Higley, MD, PhD
Institution: Yale University
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Systems Analysis of the CDKL5-Deficiency Disorder (CDKL5-DD) Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome
Victor Faundez, MD, PhD
Emory University
$150,000
Awardee: Victor Faundez, MD, PhD
Institution: Emory University
Award Amount: $150,000
Funding Period: May 1, 2021 - April 31, 2022
Spatial profiling of scRNAseq signatures in human parathyroid glands
Julie Ann Sosa
University of California at San Francisco
$50,000
Awardee: Julie Ann Sosa
Institution: University of California at San Francisco
Grant Amount: $50,000
Funding Period: April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022
The objectives of this project were to: (1) utilize transcriptomic methods to define individual cell types within the human parathyroid, and (2) employ digital spatial profiling to visualize the localization of these cell types within the native parathyroid gland architecture. The developmental pilot phase work supported by the grant enabled us to establish a solid foundation of procedural optimization and proof of concept data for scaling our single cell sequencing efforts to a larger, more broadly representative cohort of donor parathyroid glands.
The scientific objectives completed during the one-year project period are essential for comprehensive mapping of the human parathyroid gland. The specific landmarks achieved include: demonstration that our live organ procurement work flow preserves tissue viability and maintains intact biochemical function; validation of recovery efficiency, parathyroid marker expression and cellular integrity in suspension; comparative assessment of whole cell vs nuclear isolation for downstream molecular analysis; validation of a novel split-pool sequencing approach that greatly improves capture efficiency, reduces selective recovery bias, and eliminates library construction batch effect concerns; digital spatial profiling of archived normal parathyroid gland sections to demonstrate the capture and whole transcriptome interrogation of specific cellular subsets demarcated by marker gene expression; and the molecular data from these studies showing that the cellular composition and transcriptional profiles of parathyroid gland tissue are dynamic rather than static. This last finding reveals that the cellular content and biochemical activity of the parathyroid gland may be physiologically conditional, suggesting that functional reconstitution of the parathyroid gland is not a fixed target, but instead requires complementation of adaptive capacity in addition to terminally differentiated cellular phenotypes. These key data will inform future and ongoing studies to reconstitute native parathyroid gland function.
Publication:
Chia-Ling Tu, Wenhan Chang, Julie A Sosa, James Koh
PNAS Nexus, Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2023, pgad073
Deciphering the structural consequences of ZC4H2 germline rare variants
Prof. Michal Linial
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
$50,000
Awardee: Prof. Michal Linial
Institution: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Award Amount: $50,000
Funding Period : January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Studies on ZC4H2 to help better understand the pathophysiology of ZARD
Vera Kalscheuer, PhD
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics
$50,000
Awardee: Vera Kalscheuer, PhD
Insitution: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics
Award Amount: $50,000
Funding Period: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Nucleic acid binding by ZC4H2
Daniel Dominguez, PhD
UNC at Chapel Hill
$50,000
Awardee: Daniel Dominguez, PhD
Institution: UNC at Chapel Hill
Award Amount: $50,000
Funding Period: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Summary:
Mutations or genetic rearrangements in the protein, ZC4H2, cause a group of X-linked neurodevelopmental disorders for which there are no treatments. While the importance of this protein is clear, the specific function of ZC4H2 is still unknown. ZC4H2 is predicted to be a zinc-finger protein. We hypothesize that like many other zinc-finger proteins, ZC4H2 directly binds DNA or RNA, and functions to regulate gene expression programs required for normal development. Our goal is to determine if ZC4H2 interacts with nucleic acids and to identify specific genes and/or gene expression pathways that become dysfunctional when ZC4H2 is mutated. Patients suffering from ZC4H2-associated rare disorders have little recourse; understanding the biological function of this protein is a critical and necessary first step to uncover potential therapeutic approaches.