2018 Hope APFED/AAAAI Pilot Grant Award Recipient Announced

Funded study to look at effects of proton pump inhibitor treatment on genes associated with eosinophilic esophagitis

Contacts: Mary Jo Strobel, Executive Director, (713) 493-7749, mjstrobel@apfed.org

ATLANTA, GA — The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) are pleased to announce the recipient of their 2018 Hope APFED/AAAAI Pilot Grant Award for research in eosinophil-associated diseases (EADs).

Mirna Chehade, MD, MPH from the Mount Sinai Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been selected to receive funding for her promising work on the effects of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy on genes associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

The award was announced at the Joint Congress of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the World Allergy Organization, held on March 2–5 in Orlando, FL. Dr. Chehade’s project entitled “Impact of Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Esophageal Transcriptome in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Subtypes” will receive funding of $70,000 per year for two years (a total of $140,000). The grant award is co-funded equally between APFED and AAAAI.

Dr. Chehade and her team will research the effects of proton pump inhibitor treatment on the EoE transcriptome in an attempt to identify EoE from PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia. Addressing this important issue may provide new insights into the how EoE-associated genes are suppressed with PPI therapy. Identification of transcriptome markers of PPI responsiveness would have a high impact in the clinical setting.

Established in 2013, the Hope APFED/AAAAI Pilot Grant Award is the result of a collaborative effort between APFED and AAAAI to enable investigators from a variety of disciplines to initiate projects relevant to eosinophil-associated diseases, with a focus on the development of new and inventive ideas that are likely to lead to future external funding and better patient outcomes.

“In the five years since its founding, the Hope APFED/AAAAI Pilot Award has supported projects aimed at better understanding the underlying causes of EADs and finding new and effective treatments for these disorders,” said APFED Executive Director Mary Jo Strobel. “APFED is excited to once again partner with AAAAI to fund this research study by Dr. Chehade, which has the potential to result in improved and targeted treatment options for our community.”

“I’m honored to receive this award and am grateful to APFED and AAAAI for the opportunity to pursue this research,” Dr. Chehade said. “Through this grant, I hope to better understand which patients might benefit from PPI therapy, and therefore reduce some of the trial and error treatment approaches we currently follow in eosinophilic esophagitis. This project will help pave the way for personalized medicine for patients suffering from EoE.”

Donations to APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon Research Program has enabled the organization to contribute more than $2 million for the research of eosinophil-associated diseases since the fund began in 2005.

About the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED)
The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to passionately embrace, support, and improve the lives of patients and families affected by eosinophil-associated diseases through education and awareness, research, support, and advocacy. www.apfed.org

About the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,000 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAI’s Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

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