SUNY TAF Class of 2023 - Moro Salifu - SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Breakthrough Kidney Treatment
Recognized nationally and globally for his role in the discovery of the human platelet F11 receptor and its involvement in the development of atherosclerosis and neointimal disease in the vascular bed, Dr. Moro Salifu, Dr. Anna Babinska Ph.D. and co-investigators, have published extensively on the subject. Dr. Moro Salifu has received many awards and honors. He likens receiving a 2023 TAF investment funding to hitting a home run.
Drs. Salifu, Babinska and the research team developed an innovative peptide drug designed to treat dialysis vascular access stenosis and thrombosis, which are common and severe complications in kidney failure patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Patients on dialysis typically need vascular access from the arm. “That access tends to shut down every three months or so due to thickening of the blood vessel wall,” Dr Salifu explained. Right now, the only way to maintain that access is open the vessels surgically.
This technology is designed to suppress the smooth vascular muscles from reacting to the blood flow, thus allowing the vessels to remain open for longer periods of time. “What makes this group of potential medications attractive is that there is no competing drug at all,” said Dr. Salifu. “It fills a void that needs to be filled.”
The TAF investment will advance Dr. Salifu’s work, marking a crucial step in addressing this complex medical condition. “It’s not just the money,” said Dr. Salifu, “it’s the entirety of the programs that surround TAF and linkages to other SUNY scientists that allow a small startup like us to succeed.”