| Researcher | Organization | Title | Amount |
| Cecilia Giachelli | University of Washington | Bioengineered Osteopontin to Treat Vascular Calcification or 'Hardening of the Arteries' | $150,000 |
LSDF has awarded the University of Washington $150,000 in the 2009 Summer Commercialization Grant Competition to support preclinical testing of a potential new drug to prevent or treat vascular calcification.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and vascular calcification — the deposition of calcium phosphate in blood vessels — is a major risk factor for and independent predictor of mortality. There are no drugs that directly treat vascular calcification. While a naturally occurring molecule called osteopontin can block calcification, it also promotes inflammation. Dr. Giachelli will examine the ability of a modified osteopontin to safely treat vascular calcification in vivo while avoiding inflammation. Her ultimate goal is to commercialize a new drug to improve survival of millions of individuals with cardiovascular disease. Calcionics Corporation, a Washington-based startup company, is expected to lead commercialization efforts.
Support for the Summer Commercialization Grant Competition comes from - 1. philanthropic funds donated to LSDF by Amgen, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Group Health Cooperative, Microsoft Corp., the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Regence BlueShield, and Safeco Insurance Foundation; and 2. Washington's allocation of payments under the Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement (revenues arising from multi-state litigation with tobacco product manufacturers).
Modified: 07/20/10