The Gilbert Family Foundation has announced a commitment of more than $18 million over three years in support of its Gene Therapy Initiative (GTI). 

The foundation was established by Giving Pledgers Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type one (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in Detroit. This round of funding includes four grants totaling $4.4 million that will be invested into further developing initial research that began in 2018, while an additional $13.8 million will be invested into 12 new research projects. GTI supports research to develop various types of therapies, including gene replacement, gene editing, RNA editing, exon skipping, and nonsense mutation suppression. 

“We are committed to finding a cure for neurofibromatosis by supporting remarkable researchers and physicians as part of our Gene Therapy Initiative,” said Jennifer Gilbert, co-founder of the Gilbert Family Foundation, which has invested $72.5 million in NF1 research to date. “NF1 affects one in 3,000 people throughout the world, including our son Nick. The progress from our last research cycle and the promise of this one continues to give us hope that anyone enduring NF1 will see a cure in our lifetime.” 

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/Eplisterra)