KC Mei Awarded UURF Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant
Dr. Kuo‑Ching Mei (Molecular Pharmaceutics) and Dr. Joshua Bonkowsky (Pediatrics) were awarded an Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant from the University of Utah Research Foundation to support a new collaborative effort focused on developing gene therapy formulations for Zellweger Spectrum Disorders. The project is funded through the UURF Interdisciplinary Research Initiative, Track 1, and is led by Dr. Bonkowsky with Dr. Mei serving as Co‑Investigator.
"Lipid Nanoparticles Gene Therapy for Zellweger Spectrum Disorders" aims to design and preclinically evaluate a non‑viral gene therapy approach for this rare and severe neurogenetic condition. Zellweger Spectrum Disorders are characterized by mitochondrial and peroxisomal dysfunction, and current therapeutic options remain extremely limited. The research team will integrate therapeutic design, in vivo evaluation, and translational development within a structured preclinical framework.
Within this collaboration, the MEI Lab will focus on engineering and optimizing a lipid nanoparticle‑based mRNA delivery platform to enable non‑viral gene transfer. This work will be led by PhD student Zitao Ma and will contribute to the broader therapeutic strategy being developed across the interdisciplinary team.
