STTR Phase I: Novel Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy For Pulmonary Treatments (COVID-19)

这一小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力涉及对以肺部为目标的新的有效疗法的未得到满足的需求。这项提案概述了一种针对新冠肺炎肺部表现的新疗法；然而，这项技术也将用于其他急性肺部疾病，如急性呼吸窘迫综合征、慢性阻塞性肺疾病、肺气肿和囊性纤维化。目前治疗肺部疾病的选择包括补充氧气、呼吸机或一氧化二氮(NO)气体，这些气体有毒且使用起来很麻烦。目前的技术使用气态NO，这是一种在高压储罐中提供的有毒气体，只有在吸入气体时才会出现。拟议的项目将开发一种持久的、可吸入的一氧化氮释放系统，以改善因新冠肺炎或其他原因导致的急性呼吸窘迫综合征患者的肺功能。这个小企业技术转移第一阶段项目促进了一种新分子的翻译，这种分子通过化学手段将一氧化氮隔离为稳定的固体，并可以被设计为以受控的速度降解，以便在原位连续释放。这项提议没有开发出性能和稳定性优化的肺给药供体。任务包括：开发和测试NO供体化合物的库，以了解NO释放的能力和速度；评估和选择具有良好溶解特性的化合物来配制雾化/雾化；在动物模型中测试改善肺功能的候选对象。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact /commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project relates to the unmet need for new and effective therapeutics that target the lung. This proposal outlines a novel treatment for the pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19; however, this technology will also find use in other acute pulmonary disorders, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. Currently the options for treatment of pulmonary disorders include supplemental oxygen, ventilators, or nitrous oxide (NO) gas, which is toxic and cumbersome to use. Current technology uses gaseous NO which is a toxic gas supplied in high pressure tanks and is present only when inhaling the gas. The proposed project will develop a long-lasting, inhaled NO delivery system to improve lung function of patients suffering from ARDS brought on by COVID-19 or other causes.This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project advances translation of a novel molecule which sequesters NO chemically as a stable solid and can be engineered to degrade at a controlled rate for in situ continuous release. This proposal develops NO donors with optimized performance and stability for pulmonary delivery. Tasks include: develop and test libraries of NO donor compounds for the ability and rate of NO release; evaluate and select compounds with good solubility characteristics to formulate for aerosolization/ nebulization; test candidates for improvement of lung function in animal models.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.