OCASCR News

OCASCR receives renewal grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust OCASCR received exciting news that TSET will renew its funding for another three years. The TSET board partnered with OMRF, OUHSC, and OSU in 2010 to create OCASCR and promote adult stem cell research in Oklahoma. In 2018, OCASCR expanded its focus to include regenerative medicine research. TSET has invested over $31 million into OCASCR since 2010, and OCASCR scientists have leveraged their findings to earn over $253 million through other grants.

Scott Plafker, Ph.D., awarded $2.8 million to study nutritional ties to multiple sclerosis-related vision loss Dr. Plafker's NIH-funded research is focused on how a ketogenic diet may prevent blindness and movement disorders associated with multiple sclerosis. His studies are aided by an OCASCR grant he received in 2020 to purchase equipment that measures vision loss in mice. Click here for more information.

OCASCR funding leads to development of a technique to aid brain research OCASCR scientist Bill Freeman, Ph.D., and his team have improved methods for studying microglia, the brain’s primary immune cells. This important advance could help clarify whether malfunctioning microglia contribute to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism. Click here for more information.

OCASCR scientists Michael Beckstead, Ph.D., and Bill Freeman, Ph.D., contribute to the identification of brain cells linked to drug abuse relapse Drs. Beckstead and Freeman have contributed to a new publication demonstrating that brain cells called astrocytes play a role in stress-induced relapse associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse. Dr. Beckstead’s recruitment to Oklahoma in 2017 was partially funded by OCASCR. Click here for more information.

Core Facilities Check out the updated list of equipment that is available to all scientists in Oklahoma. Click here.

Have OCASCR News to Share? Please send ideas for future newsletter items to Kelly Gentry (Kelly-Gentry@OCASCR.org).