NIBIB invests in quantum research( The National Institute of Biomedical...)

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the award of more than $12 million in grants to support research and development of potentially high-impact, innovative technologies to advance health care.

The new grants will fund four investigators in developing groundbreaking technologies: disposable microchips for the diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer, a bio-artificial kidney to eliminate dialysis procedures, insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes, and nanoparticles that selectively leave the blood and bind to cancer cells to assist in removal of brain tumors.

This innovative program from the NIBIB promises to harness the power of technological discovery and team science to translate new knowledge into practical healthcare benefits for our nation, said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., NIH director.

The overall goal of the NIBIB Quantum Grants program is to make a profound (quantum level) advance in health care by funding research on targeted projects that will develop new technologies and modalities for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.

We are excited to be awarding these Quantum Grants to four excellent researchers and their interdisciplinary teams, said NIBIB director Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D. We look forward to watching the extraordinary results that will be achieved as these studies progress. All four of these projects have the potential to significantly improve the current practice of medicine.

Anthony Atala, M.D., Wake Forest University Health Sciences
$3.2 million (3 years)
Insulin Producing Cells from Amniotic Stem Cells for Diabetes Therapy

Diabetes impacts the individuals afflicted and society as a whole due to the significant complications associated with using existing insulin treatment strategies. The aim of this project is to develop a new source of insulin secreti
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