HHS Launches Ambitious Stem Cell Program to Restore Brain Function
Published in Brain/Neurology.
The federal government is looking for researchers who can, in 5 years, develop stem cell treatments to repair brain damage caused by stroke, neurodegeneration, and trauma.
The Functional Repair of Neocortical Tissue (FRONT) program will make awards to scientists who can produce commercially viable graft tissue and develop engraftment procedures for functional brain recovery, according to a request for proposals issued by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The program will specifically target the largest region in the brain, the neocortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functioning, including attention, thought, perception, and episodic memory. Officials said the aim is to develop technology to repair damage to this part of the brain caused by stroke, head trauma, or other neurodegenerative conditions.