Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Warf News & Media

WARF Advances in Health Care | February 2026

WARF ADVANCES
Top licensing prospects from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Recyclable Protein Degraders Could Boost Cancer Immunotherapy
McR-TACs, a new class of protein degrader that targets disease-related proteins on and outside cells, are recycled by cells after breaking down target proteins, meaning fewer doses may be needed to maintain treatment effects.
Watch

Treating Epilepsy and Reducing the Incidence of Seizures
This strategy for stopping seizures in patients suffering from acquired epilepsy utilizes Tofacitinib, a JAK/STAT inhibitor currently prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Read more

Targeted Eye Therapy Could Improve Treatment for Vision Loss
This highly targeted new therapy for retinal diseases works by eliminating VEGF – a protein that triggers abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye – precisely at the site of disease.
Watch

Acoustic Subwavelength Imaging System 
UW researchers developed an acoustic imaging system that can resolve object features substantially smaller than the point spread function of the system, making the technique practical for biomedical imaging.
Read more

Piezoelectric Stents with Self-Powered Anti-Restenosis Properties 
The new stent design uses piezoelectric biomaterials to generate a localized, low-intensity electric field driven by blood pressure fluctuations to prevent the accumulation of smooth muscle cells.
Read more

Enhancing Low Vision Reading Using Eye-Tracking Technology
This method tracks and models low vision user gazes, recognizes intent and generates multimodal augmentations to improve reader performance in visual tasks, providing a better reader experience with less eye fatigue and discomfort.
Read more

Read about more licensing prospects!


Featured UW-Madison Researcher

Randolph Ashton Randolph Ashton, Professor of Biomedical Engineering

“Randolph’s work in stem cell bioengineering holds potential for groundbreaking research for neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder, and we are excited to continue our partnership with the Ashton Lab.”

Andy DeTienne, WARF Director of Licensing


In the News

WARF