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Moonah plans to introduce a harmless form of Entamoeba into the intestine in order to directly deliver specific antibodies to inhibit damaging toxins produced by C. difficile. If his innovation works, this would be the first time an amoeba or other protozoan had been genetically engineered to deliver a treatment this way.
Ultimately, Moonah aims to turn his “protozoan technology and drug-delivery system” into a platform used routinely to deliver a wide range of drugs to battle gut problems in young children. The strategy could offer many benefits, he says, including lessening antibiotic use amid the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
“If successful, there will be many potential applications to treat other intestinal diseases,” Moonah said. “The burden of C. difficile infection is a serious problem, and I am excited for the opportunity to help find new solutions that will lead to healthy children.”
About the Hartwell Award
Every year the Hartwell Foundation announces its Top Ten Centers of Biomedical Research in the United States, inviting each center to nominate individuals for a Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award. The Hartwell Foundation selected UVA as a center of excellence in a qualification process that considered the shared values of the institution has with the foundation relating to children’s health, while also considering the presence of medical school, biomedical engineering and the quality and scope of ongoing research .
All nominees for an award must submit a detailed research proposal to the foundation, undergo a personal interview and make a presentation in defense of their early stage, innovative and cutting-edge applied biomedical research. The foundation seeks to support research that addresses a specific and compelling unmet need to improve health outcomes for children.
Moonah was one of only 10 scientists nationwide selected this year to receive a coveted Individual Biomedical Research Award.
“The Hartwell Foundation seesks to inspire innovation and achievement by offering individual researchers an opportunity to realize their professional goals,” said Fred Dombrose, president of the Memphis-based foundation. “Our approach is to be unique, selective, thorough and accountable. We provide an opportunity for those we support to make a difference and to realize their hopes and dreams. ”
Moonah’s collaborators on the UVA project will include Carol Gilchrist, Ph.D. Debbie-Ann Shirley and Dr. Cirle Warren.
To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to the Making of Medicine blog.
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