Binghamton University will play a key role in a federal grant of up to $42.8 million to develop an implantable device that acts as a living pharmacy to treat inflammatory diseases. Mayo Clinic is the prime site for this groundbreaking research, and researchers at Binghamton will assist with bioengineering the transplanted cells.
Supporting the research is the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that funds potentially transformative biomedical and health breakthroughs.
Engage Assess SecretE (EASE): A Platform for Treating Chronic Inflammation aims to trigger a "cell factory" in the body that could treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Eventually, the hope is to use it for disorders related to an overactive immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The EASE project brings together more than 15 investigators from the Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of California Davis, Binghamton University, and biotech companies EnLiSense and Sersense Inc.
The team includes experts in cell encapsulation, biosensing, cell engineering, wound healing/dermatology, bioelectronics and manufacturing. I am very excited that this project has high societal impact and patient relevance. It represents a prime example of convergence science, where clinicians, biolo.