We propose an 14 month, milestone-driven, benchmarked research plan that extends a parent P20 Center grant focusing on bio-therapeutics development. The research will initially be executed by 6 newly hired academic research and technical positions at UCSD. Sustained and new employment in drug discovery, drug screening and drug development will be developed by partnerships with the San Diego's local biotechnology community. Specifically we will: (1) express a newly discovered recombinant neuropeptide protein that we identified in the parent grant (P20 GM078421). Analogs will be synthesized to identify functional domains and test agonists and antagonists. (2) develop high specificity monoclonal antibodies and create a quantitative ELISA assay to measure its role in disease. (3) evaluate preclinical models of wound repair by creating models of gene knock down and conditional knock outs to (a) establish its physiological relevance, (b) serve as models for drug discovery and (c) assist in converting the drug candidate to a drug lead. (4) identify its receptor by molecular cloning to establish an assay for drug discovery. (5) map the promoter to create a luciferase reporter transgenic mouse. (6) transfer technology generated to the private sector for further development. Funding will build on the success of the parent project, extend its scope, bring new fundamental skills to the laboratory, accelerate the tempo of scientific research and allow for significant job creation (and retention) by enabling hiring of additional staff, increasing hours of current part-time staff, and contracting for additional needed skills. The funded program will create 6 new full time positions, enable us to sustain 2 ongoing current research positions and with a successful outcome, we anticipate would generate an additional 5-15 new jobs in drug development research positions by technology transfer to the private biotechnology sector. Relevance: This research project describes 5 milestone and bench-marked specific AIMs that will create, test and validate a new therapeutic for wound healing. It will immediately create 6 full time positions and, if successful, its 6th AIM will create 5-15 new jobs by technology transfer to the private sector.
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