NIH Institutes and Centers Working on Lyme Disease
The principal mission of NIAID is to study infectious diseases and host immune defense mechanisms; therefore, the Institute conducts and supports most of the basic and clinical research on Lyme disease funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, because Lyme disease affects different tissue/organ systems of the body, it is also a matter of great concern to other NIH institutes and centers.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) supports research on chronic Lyme-induced arthritis, including the role of the immune system and genetic factors in contributing to its development. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) supports research to characterize the neurological, neuropsychological, and psychosocial manifestations of early and late Lyme disease in both adults and children, as well as to characterize pathogenic mechanisms associated with the neurological symptoms of chronic Lyme disease. The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) provides resource support (non-human primates) for basic and clinical studies on both acute and chronic infection, as well as support for testing and developing candidate vaccines for Lyme disease. In addition, the Fogarty International Center (FIC) funds research on Lyme disease abroad, and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) focus on those aspects of Lyme disease that relate to their specific mission.
To facilitate cooperative interactions as well as to ensure that the research activities of all NIH components are complementary, an NIH Lyme Disease Coordinating Committee (LDCC) was established in 1992. The LDCC meets annually to review the results of current studies and recent advances in research on Lyme disease. Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for evaluating the efficacy and safety of vaccines against Lyme disease (e.g., the LYMErix vaccine) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is especially interested in developing new and improved diagnostic procedures, representatives from FDA and CDC are invited to serve on the LDCC and to provide updates on their activities related to Lyme disease.
Institute and Center Links
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
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