Foundation announces new funding mechanisms to fast-track therapies
The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) announced today that it is awarding grants totaling $2 million to support 18 innovative research projects in 2009. Each project will explore bold new ideas that have the potential to drive the field forward and speed the translation of research into treatments and a cure for Rett syndrome. With this announcement, the foundation has cumulatively funded over $20M in high quality, peer-reviewed grants that have contributed to the most significant advancements in the field to date.
New awards will be provided for the development of the first neuronal assays for drug screening derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Additional grant awards will be provided to move forward 5 high impact translational research projects which focus on the development of therapeutics to treat or reverse Rett syndrome. Furthermore, a number of the projects chosen in this funding cycle may result in the identification of new drug targets that can be exploited for therapeutic intervention.