Technologies invented at the University of Tennessee, like the majority of university discoveries, typically require additional development to attract commercial interest. University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) awards grants each year through its annual maturation funding program to help researchers advance new technologies on the path to market. This year, UTRF was fortunate to receive 40 strong applications and is awarding seven groups of faculty inventors. Two of the recipients of this grant are faculty members at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, Drs. Wei Li and Charles R. Yates. Wei Li, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, was funded for pre-clinical testing of a novel family of anti-cancer compounds will research “Stability and in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation of selective survivin inhibitors in rats. Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family. Its expression positively correlates with cancer drug resistance and poor patient survival. Survivin has very low expression in differentiated normal tissue, which is why it is widely considered to be an attractive cancer drug target. Charles R. Yates, PharmD, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, will begin pre-clinical testing of a novel lead compound to treat neovascular disease of the retina. Each team received $15,000 to further develop their technology and answer important commercialization questions.
UTRF is a not-for-profit organization responsible for commercializing and licensing technology discovered by faculty, staff, and students across the UT System. In FY2014, UTRF helped establish three startup companies and received 152 new invention disclosures.