The Tendon Research Foundation is a non-profit research organization created to continue the life's work of Richard Schwarz. A pioneering biochemist and cellular biologist, Dr Schwarz dedicated his life to elucidating the cellular control of tendon growth and repair. His seminal research demonstrated that the adult tendon cell is in fact an alive and active cell that can produce new collagen and repair damaged tendons - building a strong data set in the face of decades of historical assumption that the adult tendon cell was a dormant and non-functional fibroblast.
The Tendon Research Foundation was created to continue his work, bringing forth his SNZR technology through proof-of-concept studies and into human clinical trials.
Donations to the Foundation will be used to fund critical biomedical research as well as support the necessary operational elements of the Foundation to ensure continued financial support for this vital research.
Rick's vision was that tendon rupture could be repaired more completely, more naturally, and with far fewer re-injuries than the current standard of care (all of which overlook the tendon cell itself) and the Foundation continues in the belief that there should be no "career ending injuries" due to tendon rupture - whether that be the career of a professional athlete or a skilled worker in a physically demanding profession.
Our focus is on raising money for, and providing technical expertise to support, early-stage research into novel approaches to enhance the repair and recovery of tendons and ligaments.
Our primary areas of interest are highly novel programs looking to collect critical proof of concept data necessary to generate investor interest and secure future financing.
The first program the Foundation is pursuing is the utility of the innate tendon cell density marker, SNZRpl.
The Tendon Research Foundation is a registered North Carolina Non-Profit corporation with federal 501(c)(3) status pending. As such, we are exclusively funded by tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations interested in supporting our vital mission.
We will work with partnered organizations to progress their research in whatever form is most effective, ranging from purely financial & advisory engagement to full management and execution of the research project.
Research funding will be awarded based on a quarterly schedule of application review and provided in a targeted fashion to achieve step-wise critical program milestones.
Funding applications can be submitted at any time for Foundation consideration.