"The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation will award $1.5 million to seven research projects which 18 researchers will lead. Together, these awards represent a total of approximately $10.5 million in funding from the Foundation, as recommended by The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, to support cutting-edge, early-stage research projects that promise to advance the fields of biology and medicine. The seven awarded projects were selected from open calls for proposals in two fields: extracellular vesicles and sex hormones. When considering funding areas, The Frontiers Group looks for emerging fields where an investment could be catalytic to advance scientific progress—not just for awardees, but for all in that particular field."
Composition and Functionality of the EV Corona: Learning from Lipoproteins
"In this project, researchers will investigate a recently recognized feature of extracellular vesicles (EVs) known as the “EV corona,” a layer of molecules that may imbue EVs with specialized properties. Researchers will use advanced analytical methods to detect and identify the molecules of the EV corona and map them with unprecedented detail. Additionally, they will bioengineer EVs by linking their surfaces directly to specific proteins of the corona to disguise the EVs from the body’s immune system. Doing so is important because EVs can be used to diagnose and treat diseases; however, exogenous EVs may be attacked by the immune system before their therapeutic benefits can be exerted. Allowing them to remain in the body longer could lead to better therapies and treatments for disease."
More information is available on the Allen Institute website.