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Funding News - Applications for Mechanisms in Immunomodulation Trials Requested

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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) requests grant applications for clinical trials of immunomodulatory interventions for immune system mediated diseases, and vaccines for preventive and treatment of non-HIV/AIDS infectious diseases.  This announcement is made together with 3 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The mechanisms underlying immunologic interventions are poorly understood even in cases where efficacy has been shown.  In addition, clinical trials supported by industry and other sources, including NIH, often do not include studies of underlying mechanisms.  High priority should be given to the use of patient samples from clinical trials in immunologic diseases for studies of the basic underlying mechanisms of therapeutic effect, immunologic function, and disease pathogenesis.  Applications submitted in response to this initiative will be subject to a hyperaccelerated review/award process.

Potential areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, studies to:  quantify disease-related, autoreactive, or alloreactive lymphocytes using methods such as MHC/peptide tetramers, chimeric antibodies, or very early activation antigens; assess reagents that can identify newly recognized populations of regulatory T cells which appear to be altered in autoimmune disease; identify and evaluate cytokine and cytokine receptor polymorphisms and analysis for genetic linkage to disease; use high throughput technologies to identify and evaluate genes activated in disease sites; identify useful surrogate markers that correlate with disease activity and/or response to intervention or vaccine; compare immune parameters between peripheral blood samples and biopsy samples from sites of disease; and assess potential causative environmental agents through the use of molecular evidence.

Letters of intent are due at least 1 month prior to application due date.

Applications are accepted on the 9th of each month.  The last receipt date will be June 9, 2006.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Ursula Utz, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2134, Bethesda, MD  20892; telephone:  301-496-1431; fax:  301-480-2424; e-mail:  uu1p@nih.gov.

*For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this request for applications, please visit the NIH web site at:  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-05-028.html.

This content has been adapted from the original NINDS Notes publication. For the most up-to-date funding information, please visit the Funding Opportunities section of the NINDS web site.  For the most recent information on NINDS studies, please visit the NINDS Patient Recruitment web site.