$21 Million in Research Funding Announced for Neurofibromatosis

The Gilbert Family Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation dedicated to accelerating the development of a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF1), has announced a commitment of $21 million in grant funding to launch the “Next-Generation NF1 Models Initiative”. This initiative is intended to contribute to improved treatments for NF1 through the development of advanced preclinical disease models. The $21 million will fund 18 individual grants for researchers from the United States and Europe.

The research projects receiving funding through the Next-Generation NF 1 Models Initiative were selected through peer review, based on proposals submitted after an open request in 2023. The projects focus on the development in vitro 3-dimmensional tissue and organ models, including organoids and assembloids. The models will be hosted at the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute (NGNRI) headquartered in Detroit, which has a planned opening date in 2027.

The grants under the Next-Generation NF1 Models Initiative adds to the over $125 million in research funding across 3 additional initiatives launched by the Gilbert Family Foundation and supported by its sister nonprofit, NF Forward:

• The Vision Restoration Initiative
• The Brain Tumor Initiative
• The Gene Therapy Initiative

“I'm grateful to the Gilbert Family Foundation for their crucial grant supporting our research in understanding neurofibromatosis,” said grant recipient Dr. Jürgen Knoblich, PhD, Austrian Academy of Sciences. “With this funding, we aim to develop an advanced brain organoid model, a steppingstone for discovering anti-tumor drugs and advancing neurofibromatosis treatments.”

The NGNRI is named after Nick Gilbert, son of the founders of the Gilbert Family Foundation, who passed away in 2023 due to complications associated with NF1. The Institute will be housed in the Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University Health Sciences research campus.