Selective Precision Targeting (SPoT)

The National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) seeks to advance its mission by establishing a new initiative called Selective Precision Targeting (SPoT) to determine a mechanism for precise and on-target therapeutic drug delivery to specific hard-to-reach locations within the human body using microphysiological systems (MPS). Targeted drug-delivery systems, including engineered nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles or focused ultrasound, are methods for delivering medications to a specific area of the body (organ, tissue, or cell) to increase the concentration of the drug in that area. Hard-to-reach locations in the body include the blood–brain barrier, central nervous system, placenta, retina, or a tumor.

More specifically, the initiative goals are to:

Optimize specific targeting of nanoparticle therapeutics to the target organ/cell of interest

Assess biodistribution and off-target effects using a multi-organ microphysiological system

Provide evidence of functional cargo activity

Determine optimal route of administration

Grant authorities that allow the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) to forecast this opportunity are as follows: 42 U.S. Code § 287a - Cures Acceleration Network.