the unm research enterprise: translating science to medical cures

The UNM Research The UNM Research Enterprise: Enterprise:

Translating Science Translating Science to Medical Curesto Medical Cures

Richard S. Larson, M.D., Ph.D.Richard S. Larson, M.D., Ph.D.HSC VP for Translational Research

SOM Sr. Associate Dean for Research

HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

Overview

• Goal/Vision

• Growth

• Strategy & Organization

• Scientific Highlights

• Commercialization Effort


Goal/Vision• The goal of the UNM HSC is to accelerate the

translation of scientific discovery to improved health.

• We will achieve this by creating a platform that transforms research at UNM into a continuum extending investigation from discovery into practice, thereby linking even the most basic research to practical improvements in human health.


Strategies:

• Programmatic Grants

• Clinical Trials growth

• Diversification of Portfolio


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Growth of UNM HSC Research FundingCompared to Growth of NIH Research Funding

19951990 20052000

1990:$25 Million

2008:$134 Million

UNM

NIH

Source for NIH Data: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/cht9005a.pdf


Translating Discovery into Medical Practice

6 Signature Research Programs

• Brain and Behavioral Illnesses

• Cancer

• Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

• Environmental Health

• Infectious Diseases and Immunity

• Child Health Research

Bench Bedside Community

Human Clinical Research

Controlled Observational Studies

Phase 3 Clinical Trials

Basic Science Research

Preclinical StudiesAnimal Research

Clinical Practice

Delivery of Recommended Care; Right Patient at the Right Time Identification of New Clinical Questions and Gaps in Care

T1Case StudiesPhase 1 and 2 Clinical Trials

T2/T3Practice-Based Research

Phase 3 and 4Clinical Trials

Observational StudiesSurvey Research

BEDSIDE

PRACTICEBENCH

Conceptual Process of Bench to Bedside to Practice

Research


P & U Submissions & Received Data

FY 2006

FY 2007

FY 2008

FY 2009

U - Submissions 20 25 39 6

U - Received 18 32 32 11

P - Submissions 6 5 8 1

P - Received 5 5 7 2


Recent programmatic grants• Infectious Disease & Immunity

– Pulmonary Responses to Bioweapon Category A Pathogens

– Hantavirus Ecology and Disease in Chile and Panama

• Cancer– University of New Mexico Cancer

Center Support– University of New Mexico Center

for Molecular Discovery

• Environmental Health Sciences

– Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians

• Children’s Health– Prevention Research Center– Treating Children to Prevent

Exacerbations of Asthma (TREXA)

• Brain & Behavioral Illnesses– Integrative Program in CNS

Pathophysiology Research– Fetal Ethanol-induced Behavioral

Deficits: Mechanisms, Diagnoses, and Interventions

• Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

– Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes study

– INBRE


BRAIN AND BEHAVIORAL ILLNESS SIGNATURE PROGRAM

• Brain injury– Stroke– Trauma– Immune-mediated brain disorders– Dementia, movement disorders, epilepsy, critical care neurology

• Addictive behavior– Alcohol and substance abuse

• Schizophrenia • Neurodevelopmental disorders

– Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder– Autism spectrum disorders– Heavy metal exposure– Cerebral palsy

• Technology Development– Advanced MRI technologies: spectroscopic imaging, metabolite

diffusion, real-time fMRI– Magnetoencephalography– Continuous cerebral blood flow measurement in the ICU– Brain slice electrophysiology and combined fluorescence imaging


Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases• Mission - To enhance the opportunities for research in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases at the University of

New Mexico by facilitating collaborative inter-disciplinary scientific interactions and discussions, supporting the study of new ideas and fostering the development of new investigators.

• Strategic organization to address national trends - Areas of research include basic science, clinical and translational studies focusing on:

– Cardiovascular Disease (Leading cause of death in NM residents; 11.7% of population nationally diagnosed with CV disease)

– Diabetes (9% of the NM population has diabetes compared to 7% nationally; 2-3X higher incidence in Native Americans and Hispanics)

– Obesity (57% of NM adults are considered overweight or obese compared to 32% nationally)

• Alignment with Training programs – Cardiovascular Biology Training Grant for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (17th year of funding)– CTSC pilot projects and scholars program

• Integration of basic, clinical and translational Sciences - Numerous collaborative interactions exist. i.e. Studies of cytokine-induced protein catabolism in vitro subsequently examined in patients with chronic kidney disease leading to studies examining the effectiveness of blocking cytokine activation in dialysis patients. examining the effectiveness of blocking cytokine activation in dialysis patients.

• Leveraging between HSC and UNM programs - i.e.Studies of cytokine-induced protein catabolism in vitro subsequently examined in patients with chronic kidney disease leading to studies examining the effectiveness of blocking cytokine activation in dialysis patients.

• Partnerships– Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute collaborative studies on vascular disease– Sandia National Laboratory nanotechnology programs for detection of disease markers– Numerous Pharma relationships for clinical trials and product testing and development


Infectious Diseases and ImmunityMission – To develop and enhance collaborative programs among researchers, physicians and businesses in New Mexico to address the threat of infectious and immunologically mediated diseases in New Mexican populations and the world by characterizing epidemiologic issues, studying basic host-pathogen mechanisms, developing new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and testing the preventive, therapeutic and diagnostic efficacy of these discoveries in clinical trials.

•Strategic organization to address national trends– CIDI nationally known for Biodefense – CIDI has outstanding emerging infections research: Hantavirus, tuberculosis, West Nile Virus

•Alignment with Training programs –Ninth year of T32 Infectious Disease and Inflammation training program–Funds grad students and postdocs–Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) submitted 2007

•Integration of basic,clinical and translational Sciences

–Vaccine preclinical development- Papilloma virus research–Tularemia vaccine development team–Translating genetically based predisposition to infections into drugs ( deCode project)

•Leveraging between HSC and UNM programs –Clinical and Translational Research Center–Center for Biomedical Engineering–Department of Computer Science–School of Pharmacy

•Partnerships - Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Sandia National Labs, Multiple Biotechnology companies ( deCoded Genetics, Rules Based Medicine , Exagen Inc


Cancer• Mission

– The UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center, is dedicated to curing cancer by conducting world class research, reducing cancer health care disparities in our NM population, educating the next generation of cancer researchers and healthcare professionals, and delivering state of the art cancer treatment to all New Mexicans.

• Strategic organization to address national trends – Achieve designation and federal funding from NCI as nations newest NCI designated cancer center – One of Americas top 50 cancer hospitals (US News and World Report)

• Alignment with training programs– T35 for minority students

• Integration of basic, clinical and translational Sciences – Awarded NCI designation– Nanoparticle imaging projects, genomic studies, clinical trials

• Leveraging between HSC and UNM programs – Integrates College of Pharmacy, multi-departments and School of Medicine

• Partnerships– Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute– Sandia National Laboratories– Los Alamos National Labs– New Mexico’s Universities– New Mexico’s biotechnology industry– New Mexico Department of Health– Pueblo’s, Tribe’s and Indian Nations – Senior Scientific, Inc.


Environmental Health Sciences• Mission

– Studies potential environmental causes of airway inflammation, asthma, kidney disease, cancer and other environmental diseases

• Strategic organization to address national trends– Funded by NIEHS for $4.2M 4/03 – 3/07 (renewal planned 3/08)

• Integration of basic, clinical and translational sciences– Clinicians, applied and basic scientists as well as key community partners

• Leveraging between HSC and UNM programs– Strong collaborations between SOM and COP

• Partnerships– Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute– UNM Advanced Research Cooperation in Health (ARCH) Grant between UNM (RIU) and

University of Texas, El Paso (MSU)– Border Health Collaborations– Numerous native communities directly involved as collaborators in projects– Sandia National Laboratories

A partnership between the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory

NMCIM Progress on Research and Economic Development• $1.03M Keck grant (Sklar, PI with UNM CRTC) enabled NMCIM to develop a

unique and advanced small animal imaging resource (KUSAIR) in association with the UNM CRTC for micro-PET imaging and NanoSPECT/CT Imaging; an industrial partnership has been established with Bioscan, Inc

• The State of New Mexico Technology Research Consortium (TRC) committed $350K in funds to develop a Germanium-68 (Ge68) generator to produce Gallium-68 (Ga68) a 68 min half life PET imaging agent that can be linked to targeting molecules; we are in-line for more State and Federal funds

• Ga68 Generators will be developed in collaboration with industrial partners: production of Ga68 imaging agents will allow radiopharmaceuticals to be prepared independent of cyclotrons and will produce superior imaging quality with less radiation exposure

• First generation Ga68-DOTA imaging agents will be prepared to target somatostatin receptors and EGF receptors

• Future applications for estrogen receptors and LFA will utilize NanoSPECT/CT


General Clinical Research Center (GCRC)

• Year 32 of funding with an annual budget from NCRR of approximately $3M

• An essential resource for enabling physician-scientists to compete nationally

• All 78 GCRC’s will be phased out by 2010 beginning this year

To provide state-of-the-art infrastructure support for NIH funded and developing clinical and translational researchers, including space, inpatient, outpatient and pediatric nursing, bionutrition, clinical laboratory, biostatistics, biomedical informatics, and pharmacy services.


Clinical and Translational Science CenterEnhanced Vision of healthcare and clinical research

Human Clinical Research

Controlled Observational Studies

Phase 3 Clinical Trials

Basic Science Research

Preclinical StudiesAnimal Research

Clinical Practice

Delivery of Recommended Care; Right Patient at the Right Time Identification of New Clinical Questions and Gaps in Care

T1Case StudiesPhase 1 and 2 Clinical Trials

T2/T3Practice-Based Research

Phase 3 and 4Clinical Trials

Observational StudiesSurvey Research

BEDSIDE

PRACTICEBENCH

•NIH initiative to transform the way in which clinical research and training is done

•Designed to integrate clinical, translational and basic science research

•Infrastructure to support integrated research structure

•Educational component: New MSCR, PhD programs

•Increase support to community and practice based research

•40-50 will be awarded by 2010 - assures that UNM will be in top 40-50 of HSCs in the country

•$25 million over 5 years

•Tobacco Settlement funds allocated for clinical trials within CTSC in FY08 and FY09

Conceptual Process of Bench to Bedside to Practice Research


New Model of Health Care Improvement:Linking Research and Clinical Care

• Identify community health priorities (liaisons, HEROs, Community Engagement Council, web page, database)

• Direct clinical trials and other interventions to community and local health care providers

• Find approaches that most effectively address health issues

• Establish education and dissemination processes that improve care in New Mexico communities


New Biotechnologies

• Biosensor

• One-handed Needle

• Screening Center

The University of New MexicoDivision of BIOCOMPUTING

Burnham

Scripps

Emory

U PennU Pitts

Vanderbilt

Columbia

Southern ResearchUNM

Molecular Libraries Network HyperCyt Discovery Platform

Discovery and Innovation

MLSCN Partnership Logos

Biotech Economic Dev.

Translation: Imaging Diagnostics Repurposing

http://www.luminexcorp.com/index.html


Visualizing these partners within the Biomedical Research Corridor represents the meeting of our scientific expertise and intellectual property with commercialization of research results for the public good. Our faculty provide the intellectual property, expert consultation, and cutting edge business knowledge to make these startup companies and alliances a unique contribution to the State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque. Not only does the UNM Biomedical Research Corridor contribute to the public good by introducing exciting new products to the marketplace, it also makes a significant impact on the economic development of the state by providing jobs and generating tax dollars. These partners and affiliates are examples of entrepreneurial efforts that exist, in part, due to the presence of the UNM Health Sciences Center.

Building a Biomedical Research Corridor in New Mexico


Summary• HSC has growing research enterprise that is

disease-focused

• HSC seeks partners for commercialization and clinical application

the unm research enterprise: translating science to medical cures

Health & Medicine

basic research

practice research

unm research enterprise

growth of nih research

translational research

studies of cytokine

mediated diseases

translational studies