Rice University Receives $18.2M to Pioneer Regenerative Therapy for Lymphedema
A team at Rice University, headed by bioengineer Omid Veiseh, has achieved a significant milestone by acquiring an impressive $18.2 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This funding aims to develop a pioneering regenerative therapy focused on repairing damaged lymphatic vessels, which could ultimately lead to a potential cure for lymphedema—a condition that afflicts over 10 million individuals across the United States.
The funding supports ARPA-H's innovative Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (GLIDE) program, a comprehensive initiative designed to enhance lymphatic medicine, deepen understanding of lymphatic dysfunction, and create effective treatment solutions. As ARPA-H Program Manager Kimberley Steele emphasizes, this program holds the promise to transform the lives of countless families grappling with the challenges imposed by lymphatic diseases.
Veiseh, who serves as a professor of bioengineering at Rice and is a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar, articulated the urgency behind tackling lymphedema. "Individuals suffering from this condition are often left with no choice but to manage their symptoms for life. Our ambition is to change that dynamic by forging a revolutionary approach to treatment," he stated.
The therapy under development is known as ELIXIR—Eliminating Lymphatic Irregularities by Cross-disciplinary Intelligent Regulation. This innovative solution is designed to build back broken lymphatic vessels through a one-time, minimally invasive subcutaneous injection. Drawing from existing FDA-approved cellular therapies, it will utilize specially engineered retinal pigment epithelial cells preserved within a protective hydrogel, which preserves these cells from immune rejection while enabling their functionality.
The approach will utilize cleverly designed genetic circuits within the cells that produce therapeutic proteins that aid in the repair of vascular structures. Importantly, these circuits can be activated by small-molecule regulators, allowing healthcare providers to manage the dosage and timing of the treatment precisely.
Initial testing of the ELIXIR therapy has yielded promising results, showcasing remarkable efficacy with a 100% rate of vessel regrowth toward healthy lymph nodes and an 80% reduction in edema, with ongoing evaluations in larger animal models.
Commenting further on the vision behind this project, Veiseh remarked, "Our focus is directly on the structural damage underlying lymphedema rather than merely minimizing symptoms. With this paradigm shift in treatment, we hope to revolutionize care, transitioning from chronic management to an effective, singular corrective procedure."
The anticipated costs of the ELIXIR treatment are estimated to be between $5,000 to $10,000 per patient, a stark contrast to the annual costs of managing lymphedema, which can run into the billions of dollars each year.
Over the next five years, the research team will work to advance this therapy from preclinical stages to human trials, continually collaborating with esteemed institutions, including UT MD Anderson and Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. The ultimate goal is to attain FDA clearance for an Investigational New Drug application.
This ambitious initiative, backed by both private and federal funding, signifies an essential step towards not only addressing lymphedema but also exploring the broader applications of programmable living therapies aimed at treating various structural and immune-related diseases. By illuminating the potential of regenerative medicine, Rice University is at the forefront of a medical revolution that could redefine therapeutic standards in the years to come.
The funding supports ARPA-H's innovative Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (GLIDE) program, a comprehensive initiative designed to enhance lymphatic medicine, deepen understanding of lymphatic dysfunction, and create effective treatment solutions. As ARPA-H Program Manager Kimberley Steele emphasizes, this program holds the promise to transform the lives of countless families grappling with the challenges imposed by lymphatic diseases.
Veiseh, who serves as a professor of bioengineering at Rice and is a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar, articulated the urgency behind tackling lymphedema. "Individuals suffering from this condition are often left with no choice but to manage their symptoms for life. Our ambition is to change that dynamic by forging a revolutionary approach to treatment," he stated.
The therapy under development is known as ELIXIR—Eliminating Lymphatic Irregularities by Cross-disciplinary Intelligent Regulation. This innovative solution is designed to build back broken lymphatic vessels through a one-time, minimally invasive subcutaneous injection. Drawing from existing FDA-approved cellular therapies, it will utilize specially engineered retinal pigment epithelial cells preserved within a protective hydrogel, which preserves these cells from immune rejection while enabling their functionality.
The approach will utilize cleverly designed genetic circuits within the cells that produce therapeutic proteins that aid in the repair of vascular structures. Importantly, these circuits can be activated by small-molecule regulators, allowing healthcare providers to manage the dosage and timing of the treatment precisely.
Initial testing of the ELIXIR therapy has yielded promising results, showcasing remarkable efficacy with a 100% rate of vessel regrowth toward healthy lymph nodes and an 80% reduction in edema, with ongoing evaluations in larger animal models.
Commenting further on the vision behind this project, Veiseh remarked, "Our focus is directly on the structural damage underlying lymphedema rather than merely minimizing symptoms. With this paradigm shift in treatment, we hope to revolutionize care, transitioning from chronic management to an effective, singular corrective procedure."
The anticipated costs of the ELIXIR treatment are estimated to be between $5,000 to $10,000 per patient, a stark contrast to the annual costs of managing lymphedema, which can run into the billions of dollars each year.
Over the next five years, the research team will work to advance this therapy from preclinical stages to human trials, continually collaborating with esteemed institutions, including UT MD Anderson and Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. The ultimate goal is to attain FDA clearance for an Investigational New Drug application.
This ambitious initiative, backed by both private and federal funding, signifies an essential step towards not only addressing lymphedema but also exploring the broader applications of programmable living therapies aimed at treating various structural and immune-related diseases. By illuminating the potential of regenerative medicine, Rice University is at the forefront of a medical revolution that could redefine therapeutic standards in the years to come.
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