# Synthetic circuits for therapeutic platelet production and immunomodulation

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2024 · $444,081

## Abstract

Project Summary
Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to the sites of infection and injury to form the first line of defense against invading
pathogens or tissue injury, and play a prominent role in the initiation and progression of the inflammatory
response. However, once the pathogens are cleared, it is critical for neutrophils to be removed to avoid prolonged
inflammation and to avoid inflicting damage to the surrounding tissue. Apoptosis is essential for neutrophil
functional shutdown, removal of emigrated neutrophils, and the timely resolution of inflammation. Platelets are
anucleate blood cells that circulate throughout the body and play an important role in hemostasis, wound healing,
angiogenesis, inflammation, and clot formation. Platelets are naturally filled with secretory granules that store
large amounts of bioactive proteins that are released following platelet activation to participate in a myriad of
physiological processes, including modulating inflammatory responses. The goal of this proposal is to develop a
modular platform technology using synthetic biology to reprogram pluripotent stem cells for the production of
engineered platelets for therapeutic treatments. Towards this end, we propose to capitalize on the innate storage,
trafficking, and release capabilities of platelets to build delivery vehicles that can modulate and actively terminate
neutrophil function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11283008
- **Project number:** 7R01EB033851-03
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Tara Lynn Deans
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $444,081
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2023-08-01 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11283008

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11283008, Synthetic circuits for therapeutic platelet production and immunomodulation (7R01EB033851-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11283008. Licensed CC0.

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