Spotlight Innovation Inc. (OTCQB: STLT) has entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement with Florida State University (FSU) to support research directed by FSU Prof. Hengli Tang aimed at developing safe and effective drugs to treat patients infected with Zika virus (ZIKV).
Prof. Tang is an accomplished virologist whose research has been published in prominent academic journals including Cell and Journal of Virology. In March 2016, Prof. Tang co-authored a study published in Cell Stem Cell that demonstrated for the first time the ability of ZIKV to target human embryonic cortical neural progenitor cells. After infecting these crucial brain development cells, the virus replicates and interferes with cell growth, function and viability. ZIKV infection in pregnant women can cause neurological birth defects, including microcephaly, a condition in which a child is born with an abnormally small head as a result of incomplete brain development.
Geoffrey Laff, Ph.D., Spotlight Innovation's Senior Vice President of Business Development, commented, "Prof. Tang is a true pioneer in the scientific community's efforts to combat Zika virus. We are thrilled that he has chosen to collaborate with us to develop novel therapies for Zika virus infection."
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