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Grants We Funded

Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:

The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.

ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.

Research Abstracts

Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.

Antibody Dosing in Costimulation Blockade for Nerve Transplantation

Principal Investigator
Thomas Tung MD

Year
2004

Institution
Washington University

Funding Mechanism
Basic Research Grant

Focus Area
Peripheral Nerve

Abstract
Currently described regimens based on costimulation blockade for the induction of tolerance have been developed utilizing experimental models of organ transplantation. A nerve allograft differs from an organ allograft because it acts as a temporary conduit to guide nerve regeneration whereas an organ allograft is permanent. Once the host peripheral nerve has regenerated through the allograft and the donor cells have been replaced, immunosuppression is no longer necessary. Anti-CD40 ligand costimulation blocking antibody is able to induce an extended period of immune unresponsiveness without additional dosing following antibody administration. We hypothesize that a single dose of costimulation-blocking antibody(s) is sufficient for successful regeneration in the murine peripheral nerve allograft model. The dosage may be further reduced by combination with additional treatments such as T-cell depletion and donor bone marrow transplantation. Anti-CD40L antibody has been used in clinical trials for bone marrow transplantation and is potentially an essential part of strategies that will be used clinically for organ transplantation. The findings of this study will determine the ability for successful clinical nerve transplantation using lower doses and shorter courses of antibody therapy than are required for organ transplantation.