The Van Andel Institute received a $555,000 federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to support clinical research focused on frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.
Lead researcher Dr. Qiang Zhu discussed his lab’s mission to uncover the biological roots and mechanisms behind familial or inherited ALS and other forms of the disorder.
Zhu notes the primary goal is to improve existing gene therapies that often require frequent clinical visits.
Zhu hopes his team can design a new therapy targeting damaged genes with a “one-and-done” treatment.
The lab uses stem cell technology that turns a patient’s skin or blood cells into nerve cells to recreate the disease in a petri dish to test new drugs.
Zhu says, “Once we identify a promising treatment, the next step is to move it into clinical trials. That is the pipeline we’re working to build here at VAI — transforming discoveries in the lab into actual ways to help people.”
Grand Rapids Democrat U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten announced the funding Tuesday.
The Van Andel Institute
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