Selective Precision Targeting (SPoT)

<p>The National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) seeks to advance its mission by establishing a new initiative called Selective Precision Targeting (SPoT) to determine a mechanism for precise and on-target therapeutic drug delivery to specific hard-to-reach locations within the human body using&nbsp;microphysiological systems (MPS). Targeted drug-delivery systems, including engineered nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles or focused ultrasound, are methods for delivering medications to a specific area of the body (organ, tissue, or cell) to increase the concentration of the drug in that area. Hard-to-reach locations in the body include the blood–brain barrier, central nervous system, placenta, retina, or a tumor.</p><p><br></p><p>More specifically, the initiative goals are to:</p><ul><li>Optimize specific targeting of nanoparticle therapeutics to the target organ/cell of interest</li><li>Assess biodistribution and off-target effects using a multi-organ microphysiological system</li><li>Provide evidence of functional cargo activity</li><li>Determine optimal route of administration</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Grant authorities that allow the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) to forecast this opportunity are as follows: 42 U.S. Code § 287a - Cures Acceleration Network.</p>