Jan. 2017 Update

ASI Lets Grow Grants are nearing completion which will include educational, promotional and training videos for sheep producers. GM1 sheep production for Huntington’s Disease: Training Videos, Record Management, and Cooperator Communications.

NSIIC 2015 grant Development of Ovine GM1 ganglioside for Huntington’s Disease – in progress HD mouse studies using ovine GM1 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Dr. Steven Hersch’s lab.

NSIIC 2016 Comparison of meat composition of lambs affected with GM1 gangliosidosis to retail lamb – newly funded.

We are continuing to apply for the larger NIH grants currently though NINDS IGNITE = NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) which is a suite of early-stage therapy development funding programs meant to serve as a feeder program to the later-stage therapy development programs such as the Cooperative Research to Enable and Advance Translational Enterprises (CREATE) for Biologics Although there is a lot of data on the bovine GM1 they are requiring that it be repeated with the ovine product.

The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD 501c3 continues to fundraise. The Shepherd’s Shuffle, 5K and 1K, in conjunction with South Dakota Sheep Growers Annual Convention will be 9/30/17 in Brookings, SD. TSG has raised over $100,000 thus far and has supported Dr. Hersch’s research as well as pay for cooperator GM1 affected lambs. Donations are always welcome – see crowdrise.com/theshepherdsgift

Additional research funding opportunities through private HD foundations are being pursued (Bev Hartig HD Foundation) as well as potential investors.