Leducq Foundation
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The Leducq Foundation (in French Fondation Leducq) is a private, endowment-based foundation located in Paris, France, whose mission is to improve human health through international efforts to combat cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.
The foundation’s major grant program, the Transatlantic Networks of Excellence for Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Research, is unique in that it promotes internationally collaborative research. Support through this program allows teams of scientists from North America and Europe to work together to advance the knowledge in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.
As of 2009, the foundation has awarded 27 Transatlantic Network grants totaling more than $160 million to 314 researchers in 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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[edit] History
Jean Leducq was a French entrepreneur who over the course of 50 years built a successful international business involving the supply and care of linens and uniforms in Europe and North America. Shortly before the sale of this business, which included the group ELIS in France, Jean, with his wife Sylviane, created the Leducq Foundation, which was officially recognized by the French government in November 1996.[1]
Following Jean Leducq’s death in 2002, Sylviane Leducq has carried on the work of the foundation. She currently serves as President of the foundation’s board of directors. In 2009, Sylviane Leducq was awarded the French Légion d’Honneur in recognition of her generosity and leadership of the foundation.[2]
The strategic development of the foundation is guided by a 14-member Scientific Advisory Committee composed of international experts in cardiology, cardiac surgery, and neurovascular medicine.
[edit] Science
Research projects currently funded by the Leducq Foundation span the major areas of cardiovascular and neurovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, valvular heart disease and congenital heart disease. Advances that have arisen from Leducq Foundation-funded programs include:
• The identification of genes associated with cardiac arrest[3]
• The development of remote ischemic preconditioning to limit heart attack damage[4]
• The discovery of the cause, and a promising treatment, of peripartum cardiomyopathy[5]
• The discovery of a molecular pathway that could lead to more effective treatments for acute stroke[6]
• The development of a gene therapy strategy for heart failure.[7]
[edit] Structure
The bequest from the Leducq family includes the Napa Valley, Calif., vineyard Ehlers Estate. The vineyard reflects the Leducqs' lifelong interest in wine. A portion of proceeds from the sale of Ehlers Estate wines is returned to the foundation to support its philanthropic mission.[8]
In 2008, the trust of the Leducq Foundation created a new company, Broadview Ventures, Inc., to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical benefit in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease through targeted investment in support of early stage technology. Although associated with the Leducq Foundation, with which it shares an overlap of mission and philosophy, BV is constituted as an independent, for-profit venture philanthropy corporation. Profits from this company must be used for further targeted investment through Broadview Ventures, or for Leducq Foundation grant funding. Broadview Ventures is designed to help overcome the problem of the so called "translation gap," where very early stage companies find that their research is too advanced for traditional academic funding, but not sufficiently developed to attract conventional venture capital investment. As of 2009, Broadview Ventures has invested in percutaneous valve replacement and micro-RNA technology.[9][10]
[edit] References
- ^ Tancredi, D. 2006. Critical issues in cardiovascular research, Journal of the American College of Cardiology 48(9) Suppl A, preface.
- ^ Ch. D. (January 2, 2009). “Légion d’Honneur : la promotion du Nouvel an” (http://www.lefigaro.com/actualite-france/2009/01/01/01016-20090101ARTFIG00317-legion-d-honneur-la-promotion-du-nouvel-an-.php). Le Figaro, in French.
- ^ Kao, W.H.L. et al. (2009). Genetic variations in nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein are associated with sudden cardiac death in US white community-based populations. Circulation 119, 940-951. PMID 19204306
- ^ American College of Cardiology (March 28, 2009). Intermittently stopping blood flow to the arm limits infarct size in evolving MI. Press release. http://www.acc.org/media/acc_scientific_session_09/press/Saturday/i2Botker_12.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-7-03.
- ^ Hilfiker-Kleiner D et al. (2007). A cathepsin D-cleaved 16 kDa form of prolactin mediates postpartum cardiomyopathy. Cell 128(3), 589-600. PMID 17289576
- ^ Su EJ et al. (2008). Activation of PDGF-CC by tissue plasminogen activator impairs blood-brain barrier integrity during ischemic stroke. Nature Medicine 14, 731-737. PMID 18568034
- ^ Kawase Y et al. (2008). Reversal of cardiac dysfunction after long-term expression of SERCA2a by gene transfer in a pre-clinical model of heart failure. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 51, 1112-1119. PMID 18342232
- ^ Garbee K. (July 29, 2008). “Ghost wineries of Napa Valley offer a taste of the past.” (http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-tr-ghostwineries3-2008aug03?page=1). LA Times.
- ^ Reuters.com (May 13, 2009). CardiAQ Valve Technologies (CVT) receives $750,000 ’translation’ funding from Broadview Ventures Inc. Press release. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS163172+13-May-2009+BW20090513 Retrieved on 2009-7-03.
- ^ Businesswire.com (June 2, 2009). miRagen Therapeutics, Inc. accomplishes funding milestones and secure series A extension. Press release. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090602005319&newsLang=en Retrieved on 2009-7-03.
