Whilst it is hugely time consuming and challenging to apply for grants, a successful grant award not only makes a considerable contribution to research costs in new research areas but is also a reflection as to the quality and technical capability of the researchers and the research programme. Proteome Sciences and its associates have been successful in attracting grants across a range of applications in the UK, Europe and the USA to help fund leading edge proteomic applications and in human diseases and in spliceosome mediated RNA trans-splicing.

Details of successful grants are listed below:

EU Framework Programme 6 - GENDEP (Depression)

Proteome Sciences was successful in a European Union Sixth R&D Framework Programme Grant Application GENDEP to address patient response to drugs for depression. This is the first large scale multi-centre study to combine pharmacogenomics and pharmacoproteomics to establish drug responder profiles, with a total budget of €7.5m. Most importantly, it provides long term access to well characterised samples from specialist groups across Europe and to the platform to identify new targets for drug discovery and for the early diagnosis of disease, as well as to predict responders and non-responders to anti-depressant treatments. The programme started in March 2004 and runs for 3 years.

DTI-LINK (Alzheimer’s)

In February 2004, Proteome Sciences and the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, were awarded a £1.3m DTI-LINK grant towards a new research programme in Alzheimer’s disease to identify new biomarkers to improve the early detection of the disease and for the discovery of new targets for therapy. Proteome Sciences receives a contribution of £419,000.

Eureka REMAP Project (Heart)

REMAP was a 3 year Eureka/DTI project to develop a non-invasive method for detecting acute rejection after solid organ transplantation using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). This was to be applied initially for heart transplantation and then potentially to address kidney, liver and lung transplantation. With suitable protein markers validated and antibodies developed, a simple ELISA type test (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) can be produced at a fraction of the cost and the risks associated with existing biopsy methods in post operative monitoring. Biomarkers have now been identified for acute and chronic heart rejection and research is underway in renal rejection.

The Britech Foundation Ltd – PRO-TAMAD (Alzheimer’s)

Proteome Sciences and Mindset BioPharmaceuticals Ltd, an Israeli drug discovery and development company, were awarded a £450,000 three year grant by The Britech Foundation Ltd for a joint research programme to discover new targets for therapy and for new improved diagnostic markers in Alzheimer’s disease.