Grants to Develop In Vitro Models of SARS-Cov-2 Infection and Treatment
In April 2020, NCATS issued two Notices of Special Interest to support research in collecting and examining data on the risks and outcomes for COVID-19 infections using MPS. Such work is expected to advance the translation of research findings into diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Applications for administrative supplements and competitive revisions for existing grants to advance COVID-19 research were accepted through January 2022.
In a separate effort announced in September 2020, FDA awarded over $5 million to a global collaboration to inform the development of treatments and vaccines for coronavirus infections. The collaboration, led by the University of Liverpool, will sequence and analyze samples from humans and animals to create profiles of various coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. As part of this three-year project, investigators will evaluate how in vitro models of coronavirus infection, including human organs-on-chips, compare to in vivo responses in animal models and humans. Ultimately, these in vitro models may be employed in the development of biologics, drugs, or devices to treat COVID-19.