UF researchers, along with scientists from six other centers, were recently awarded a $63-million grant to continue developing heart disease therapies.
The money will fund seven years of research, which uses patients’ bone marrow and heart cells for therapies, according to a news release.
The National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute gave the grant to the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network, an organization of seven clinical trial centers.
UF’s portion of the grant is more than $5 million, according to the release.
Dr. Carl J. Pepine, UF’s principal investigator, said the money will pay the salaries of about 15 staff members who provide the framework for research. UF’s team includes branches at several medical centers in Florida.
The group hopes to generate new cells and blood vessels, which could help patients function better, he said.
“Many of us believe that this is the next frontier in the therapy of cardiovascular disease,” Pepine said.
The rest of the money went to patient care, the data coordinating center and other centers, Pepine said.
Contact Julia Glum at jglum@alligator.org.
