ADEPTHERA, LLC — Department of Health and Human Services STTR Phase I: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Destruction of lymphatic vessels during the treatment
ADEPTHERA, LLC — STTR Phase I award from Department of Health and Human Services.
- Amount
- $225,000
- Agency
- Department of Health and Human Services · National Institutes of Health
- Program / Phase
- STTR · Phase I
- Solicitation
- PA13-089
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- —
Description
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Destruction of lymphatic vessels during the treatment of breast cancer by surgery and/or radiation therapy can lead to the development of secondary lymphedema. The breast-cancer-related lymphedema is associated with debilitating limb swelling, chronic inflammation, tissue fibrosis, and increased susceptibility to infection. It has been estimated that approximately 20% of the 2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the US suffer this chronic condition following axillary lymph node dissection and radiation therapy. Current treatments for secondary lymphedema are limited to lifelong physiotherapies, which can cause substantial and even prohibitive financial, physical, and psychological strain for most patients. Clearly, thereis an unmet yet urgent medical need for new approaches to treat lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. Interestingly, recent discoveries have shown that two human hormones-adrenomedullin (ADM) and intermedin (IMD/ADM2)-and their cognate receptors (CL