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Researchers Receive Brigham Ignite Awards for Projects on Breast Reconstruction and Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Brigham Ignite

Boston, MA—January 16, 2025   Two Brigham Ignite Development Awards were announced today, one for post mastectomy reconstruction and the other for a novel treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The awards are given to Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers for innovative projects advancing discoveries with clinical and commercial potential.

 

Along with supportive funding, the awards provide recipients with guidance on licensing, product development, intellectual property and commercialization so that principal investigators are able to take the beginning steps on the translational path.

 

Mass General Brigham Innovation partners with Brigham Ignite to further the development pipeline of treatment options, medical devices and technology that will improve outcomes for patients.

 

Development Grant awardees receive a maximum of $200,000. Brigham Ignite also offers another level of funding, the Seed Grant, which offers a maximum of $50,000.

 

The projects, researchers and Innovation staff members:

 

Advanced Image-Guided Software and 3D Printing for Enhanced Symmetry and Precision in Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction, Jayender Jagadeesan, PhD


Each year, 300,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and many opt for breast reconstruction surgery (BRS) after a mastectomy to improve their quality of life. However, the complex DIEP flap technique, which uses abdominal tissue to recreate the breast, lacks tools for effective planning and intraoperative monitoring. This creates challenges in achieving symmetry, meeting patient expectations, and reducing risks like blood loss, infections, or flap failure, while also prolonging surgical time.


The project leverages advanced technologies—surface reconstruction, augmented reality (AR), and 3D printing—to transform the breast reconstruction process. At its core is an AR system designed to enhance surgical planning and execution. The system enables surgeons to create a 3D mold of the patient’s breast for precise symmetry and reconstruction while providing real-time overlays of critical blood vessels during surgery to minimize risks and streamline the procedure.


With the help of the Brigham Ignite grant, this technology will make breast reconstruction surgeries safer, quicker, and more accurate, ultimately improving outcomes for many patients and enhancing their quality of life.


Program Manager—Kalpana Kamath, PhD

Licensing Manager— Idil Levin

 


Granzyme K Inhibition to Treat Inflammatory Diseases, Carlos Donado, PhD and Michael Brenner, MD


Rheumatoid arthritis affects .5-1 percent of all people, but ~20 percent of patients do not respond to any available therapies, and over 50 percent of patients do not achieve sustained remission with the current therapies. Recent studies suggest that Granzyme K plays a more significant role in inflammation than previously recognized, as it is key to a newly discovered complement pathway. Blocking the activity of Granzyme K could provide an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis while potentially preserving more of the immune system's functionality compared to existing therapies. This new target is different from all existing treatments. Thus, it could be the key to treating patients who do not respond to any other treatment.


The Brigham Ignite Award will facilitate additional animal studies on rheumatoid arthritis and explore whether this treatment could also be effective for other autoimmune disorders.


Program Manager—Eilish Brown, MBA

Licensing Managers— Georgios Varsos, PhD, MBA and David Silva, PhD

 


About Mass General Brigham

Mass General Brigham is the nation’s largest academic research enterprise. More than 150 life science and biotechnology companies have been established in Massachusetts as a result of the more than $2 billion in government funded and privately sponsored research that Mass General Brigham attracts every year. The groundbreaking research performed at Mass General Brigham is integral to developing and commercializing life-changing therapies, which sustains Massachusetts’ competitive advantage in the innovation economy.

 

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