# Preclinical Assessment Core (PAC)

> **NIH NIH P20** · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $175,576

## Abstract

SUMMARY
A major purpose of the COBRE South Carolina Center for Translational Research for Improving Musculoskeletal
Health (SC-TRIMH) is to promote and enable research and innovation addressing bone and joint disorders for
the improvement of patient care. Animal models and human cadaveric models are essential for verifying
musculoskeletal research hypotheses, and are intrinsic to the pre-clinical assessment strategy for diagnostics
and treatments, for novel technology evaluation, and for the verification of computational models. The mission
of the Pre-clinical Assessment Core (PAC) is to provide mentoring and strategic planning to SC-TRIMH
investigators for the use of live large animal models and/or human cadaver models in their musculoskeletal
research programs. It provides the specialized facilities, expertise, and resources needed by SC-TRIMH
investigators to further evaluate the potential of their in vitro advances into clinical practice. In COBRE Phase I,
PAC has consolidated unique resources and expertise at Clemson University and the PRISMA Health System
(PHS) into a comprehensive network of experts and services organized into two complementary thrusts: the Live
Animal Modeling (LAM) and Human Cadaveric Modeling (HCM) thrusts. LAM includes state-of-art biomedical
research and animal imaging facilities at the AAALAC-accredited Godley-Snell Research Center and the
Clemson Farms enabling access to the full spectrum of animal models used in musculoskeletal research as well
as flexibility for the development of novel models needed by SC-TRIMH investigators. Over the years, Clemson
University, through its Bioengineering Department, has built an impressive portfolio of musculoskeletal innovative
research using large animal models which laid the foundation for PAC capabilities in Phase I. The HCM thrust,
located at the Clemson University Biomedical Engineering Innovation Campus (CUBEInC), includes the Bioskills
Surgical Training and Innovation Center and other resources. As the health innovation hub for Clemson
University since 2011, CUBEInC is located at the PRISMA Health System above orthopaedic patient clinics and
physical therapy. In Phase I, PAC integrated into its training program, the CUBEInC's resources and expertise
in technology development and maturation, as well as start-up company development and mentoring, further
increasing awareness of SC-TRIMH investigators about the innovation cycle. The PAC leadership team consists
of the thrusts' co-directors, both renowned clinicians and scientists, and a support group of facility managers,
technical experts, and scientists. In Phase II, PAC will continue to provide technical mentoring and support to all
SC-TRIMH investigators, especially those who do not have primary expertise in pre-clinical assessment, while
progressing toward being the major translational resource for musculoskeletal researchers from across South
Carolina and elsewhere. The specific aims of PAC are to 1) continue providing...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10912640
- **Project number:** 5P20GM121342-07
- **Recipient organization:** CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeryl Jones
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $175,576
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10912640

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10912640, Preclinical Assessment Core (PAC) (5P20GM121342-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10912640. Licensed CC0.

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