American Liver Foundation, our Partner in the Fight against PBC

As a result of the ALF PBC scientific meeting in 1998 a research agenda specifically addressing questions plaguing the understanding of PBC was established.

The PBC Fund for the Cure was initiated to develop resources for grants for targeted research in the area of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. Donations to the Fund are used to support research.

The grants review process is comprehensive and highly competitive. The review committee comprises many of the nation’s most noted researchers and clinicians in the field of liver research. Grant applications are carefully assessed by committee members and must be rated at the highest level for grant consideration.

In 1997-1998 donations by caring individuals, outside the PBC Fund for the Cure, was used for the PBC Research Agenda Development Meeting and seed grants for the following.

Year	Award Type	Amount	L name	F name	Institution	Title
1997	Study	$50,000				PBC Research Agenda Development Meeting
1997	Postdoc	$10,000	Lazaridis, MD	Konstantinos	Mayo Clinic, MN	Regulation and Physiologic Significance of the Ileal Na+ - Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide in Intrahepatic Bile Duct Epithelial Cells
1998	Seed	$100,000	Gershwin, MD	M. Eric	University of California, Davis	The Molecular Identification of Disease-Specific Molecules in PBC
1998	Seed	$100,000	Mason, MBBS	Andrew L.	Ochsner Clinic, LA	A Pilot Study of Lamivudine Therapy for Patients with PBC
1998	Seed	$100,000	Theise, MD	Neil D.	NY University Medical Center	Isolation and In Vitro Growth of Biopotent Progenitor Cells from Adult Human Livers
1998	Seed	$100,000	Worman, MD	Howard J.	Columbia University, NY	Nuclear Envelope Protein Paralogues as Autoantigens in PBC
1998	Seed	$100,000	Peters, MD	Marion G.	University of California, SF	Transgenic Murine Model of Biliary Specific Injury
1998	Postdoc	$10,000	Feng, PhD	Li	Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY	Cloning, Expression and Characterization of Recombinant Human Liver Phosphatidycholine Transfer Protein
1999	Postdoc	$10,000	Gong, MD	Aiyu	Mayo Clinic, MN	Aquaporin Channel-Mediated Transepithelial Water Movement in Isolated Mouse Bile Duct Units
2000	Postdoc	$10,000	Rumalla, MD	Ashwin	Mayo Clinic, MN	Distinguishing Benign and Malignant Scritcures of the Biliary Tract Ploidy Assessment by Digital Image Analysis
2001	Postdoc	$10,000	Pusl, MD	Thomas	Yale University School of Medicine	Regulation of Gene Expression in Liver by Ursodeoxycholic Acid
2002	Postdoc	$10,000	Bohan, MD	Alan	Yale University School of Medicine	Role of the Nuclear Hormone Receptors Farnesoid X Receptor and Retinoid X Receptor in the Transcriptional Regulation of Bile Salt Metabolism and Transport in Obstructive Cholestasis
2003	-0-
2004	Postdoc	$10,000	Mazzone, PhD	Amelia	Mayo Medical School	Hepatocyte Membrane Microdomain: A Role in Regulating Ductal Bile Secretion
2004	Seed	$100,000	Lazaridis, MD	Konstantinos	Mayo Clinic and Foundation	Genetic Epidemiology of PBC
2005
Total		$720,000

2006

Joseph A. Odin, MD, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine $200,000  Does Vitamin D Supplementation Enhance Immune Function in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis? (Over 2 years)

Carlo Selmi, MD, PhD, University of California, Davis $200,000  Epigenetics of X-Linked Genes in PBC: Does X Mark the Spot? (Over 2 years)

Keishi Kanno, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital received $12,500 over one year for Hosphatidylcholine Transfer Protein: Regulation of Hepatobiliary Lipid Metobolism by a START Domain

Ping P. Lam, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine received $12,500 over one year for Cellular and Functional Defects of the Liver Bile Salt Export Pump

Total $1,145,000

2007

Shi-Ying Cai, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine received $200,000 over 2 years for Ursodeoxyclolic Acid and Retinoic Acid Combination Treatment for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Total $1,345,000

Other funds have been disbursed by the National Institute of Health for additional research projects.

Research like this can provide the answers so desperately needed by patients who suffer from liver disease.   http://pbcers.org/donation.htm

Thank you.

Sandra (Tropple) Stoddard

PBCers Organization Executive Committee

BACK