Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for this spotlight.
Funding Opportunity
The NHLBI Catalyze Program aims to provide a comprehensive support framework to accelerate the translation of basic scientific discoveries into viable diagnostic and therapeutic products. There is currently one active opportunity supporting product definition studies. Applications for product definitions are due June 18th, 2026. Investigators performing heart, lung, blood, sleep and chemical countermeasure research are encouraged to apply.
Have a question about the Catalyze Product Definition Program or want to learn more? Join the Catalyze Team for open office hours on May 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET.Register to join the Catalyze team for a 60-minute interactive webinar designed to answer your questions about the Product Definition program and the application process.
Publications
No new publications this month.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.
Jeran Stratford
April 2026 RMIP Updates
RMIP Research Spotlight
Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for this spotlight.
Funding Opportunity
The NHLBI Catalyze Program aims to provide a comprehensive support framework to accelerate the translation of basic scientific discoveries into viable diagnostic and therapeutic products. There is currently one active opportunity supporting product definition studies. Applications for product definitions are due June 18th, 2026. Investigators performing heart, lung, blood, sleep and chemical countermeasure research are encouraged to apply.
https://nhlbicatalyze.org/about
https://nhlbicatalyze.org/faq/product-definition/funding-opportunities
Have a question about the Catalyze Product Definition Program or want to learn more? Join the Catalyze Team for open office hours on May 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET.Register to join the Catalyze team for a 60-minute interactive webinar designed to answer your questions about the Product Definition program and the application process.
Publications
No new publications this month.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.