Clinic, Case, KSU vie for pot of tech grant money

BYLINE: SHANNON MORTLAND

The Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University all are competing for a lucrative but limited supply of dollars from the state's Third Frontier technology development program.

A total of eight proposals were submitted to the state for money from its Wright Mega-Center of Innovation program, said Merle Madrid, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Development. Mr. Madrid said the state by January will award one or two grants of up to $60 million each to help create centers of research and commercialization in areas such as biotechnology and information technology.

The grants will be the largest the Third Frontier program has awarded. Each of the main applicants must agree to match the Third Frontier grant money on a two-to-one basis, said Robert Miller, Allen C. Holmes professor of Neurological Diseases in Case's Department of Neurosciences. He is the lead investigator on Case's proposal.

The Clinic's proposal calls for the medical institution to work with the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp., a neighborhood development corporation in Cleveland, to create the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center. It would focus on heart failure and its two main causes - atherothrombotic vascular disease and valvular heart disease, according to a description submitted to the state.

Kent State's proposal outlines the creation of FlexMatters, a center that would focus on developing flexible displays, electronics and photovoltaics.

The center would combine the research-and-development expertise of Kent State's Liquid Crystal Institute and the University of Akron's College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, according to Kent State's letter of intent to the Department of Development.

Case has plans to create the Ohio Center for Neural Repair, which would focus on developing therapies for nervous disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, said Dr. Miller, who also is the director of Case's Center for Translational Neuroscience.

Under its neural repair proposal, Case would work with private companies and institutions such as Ohio State University, University Hospitals, MetroHealth Medical Center and even the Clinic - essentially putting the Clinic in competition with itself for the grant money.

Dr. Bruce Trapp, chairman of the Clinic's Department of Neurosciences, initially had submitted a letter of intent to the state for a $60 million grant to create the Ohio Neuroscience Research Center. However, Dr. Miller said Dr. Trapp and Case decided to work together toward the neural repair center. Dr. Trapp now will serve as a co-investigator at the center if it receives the state money, Dr. Miller said.

Dr. Miller said his proposed neural repair center would focus on drug discovery and development; the use of existing drugs in new ways; the development of stem cell therapeutics; imaging; and the use of engineering or electronic stimulation to treat disorders of the nervous system.

Under its proposal, the Clinic plans collaborations with ``multiple academic partners,'' including Case, UH and the University of Toledo, as well as with companies such as PrognostiX Inc. and RegenRx. PrognostiX, which sells diagnostic blood tests, and RegenRx, a stem cell technology firm, are spinoffs of the Clinic.

According to a description of the project that the Clinic provided to the state, the center ``will focus on developing new cardiovascular technology, spinning off new companies, and recruiting experienced leaders and emerging companies.''

``The result will be an internationally recognized cluster of cardiovascular expertise,'' the description said.

Vickie Johnson, executive director of the Fairfax neighborhood development organization, said her group is excited that the Clinic invited it to participate in the proposal.

Cleveland City Council recently approved a proposal by Fairfax to buy and develop seven parcels near the Clinic.

Decisions on which entity or entities receive the state money will be made later this year.

The development department's Mr. Madrid said a panel from the National Academy of Sciences will meet with all the applicants for the Wright Mega-Center grants, review the proposals and submit a report and recommendations to the Third Frontier program.