McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Kacey Marra, PhD, Professor, Departments of Plastic Surgery and Bioengineering, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Plastic Surgery, recently was awarded a 2-year, $2,085,067 Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), Technology/Therapeutic Development Award (TTDA) grant to obtain regulatory approval for her novel nerve guide.  This will provide funds to finish the necessary testing of the nerve guide to get approval for the first human clinical trial. The co-investigator is Anthony Windebank, MD, Professor of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, where the team will optimize the manufacturing process of the nerve guides under GMP conditions.

The project title is “Development of an Implantable Medical Device for Human Extremity Nerve Injuries,” and will run from July 1, 2021-June 30, 2023.

The PRMRP TTDA is a product-driven award mechanism intended to provide support for the translation of promising preclinical findings into products for clinical applications, including prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or quality of life, in at least one of the Congressionally directed PRMRP Topic Areas. Products in development should be responsive to the healthcare needs of military Service Members, Veterans, and/or beneficiaries.

Congratulations, Dr. Marra!