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Daniel Rotrosen, M.D.
Acting Director
Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation, NIAID
It was with regret that NIAID announced the departure of Dr. Robert Goldstein, who served as Director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation since 1988. Dr. Goldstein has joined the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International as Vice President for Research. In his new position, Dr. Goldstein will be responsible for developing and guiding the research agenda of the Foundation.
Dr. Goldstein began his career at NIAID in 1978 when he assumed the position of Chief of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch in the Immunology, Allergic and Immunologic Diseases Program. As Director of this Division he has guided its scientific programs for close to a decade, and has been an effective and tireless proponent of collaboration in science. His ability to bring diverse groups and interests together toward a common goal is well-recognized. His extensive activities with private foundations as well as professional and lay organizations have led to important and innovative partnerships between the public and private organizations.
Effective March 13, Dr. Fauci has appointed Dr. Daniel Rotrosen to serve as the Acting Director. Dr. Rotrosen joined the NIAID in 1984, working first in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Division of Intramural Research and later as a Medical Officer in the Laboratory of Host Defense. In 1995, he was appointed Chief of the Asthma, Allergy and Inflammation Branch in this Division. He received his M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine, and trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He also served on the faculty of UCLA before coming to NIAID. Dr. Rotrosen has a long-standing interest in the basic mechanisms of inflammation and has published extensively on this topic.
Elizabeth Adams, M.D., recently joined the Division as Special Assistant to the Director. She came to NIAID from the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) where she worked on the genetics of hereditary muscle diseases and on clinical myositis studies. Dr. Adams received her clinical rheumatology training at Washington University where she worked on the cloning and structure-function relationship of complement receptors in the laboratory of Dr. John Atkinson.
Dr. Rotrosen related the following scientific activities:
Asthma Center Directors Meeting. The bi-annual meeting of the NIAID Asthma Center Directors was held at NIH on April 17-18, 1997. This meeting was cosponsored by the NIAID, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The meeting highlighted recent progress of the many clinical and basic research programs that are cofunded by NIAID, NIEHS and NHLBI, including the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study, the Collaborative Study for the Genetics of Asthma, and projects of the Asthma Centers. Participants in the meeting included representatives of various constituency groups, private and public foundations, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the New York City Department of Health.
Food Allergy Research. An executive summary of the workshop, "New Directions in Food Allergy Research," held at NIH in July, 1996, will be published in the July, 1997 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This workshop focused on basic immune mechanisms, immune mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract, characterization of allergens, and promising new advances in understanding the immunologic basis of allergic disorders. The workshop was sponsored by the Jaffe Family Foundation, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the International Life Sciences Institute and the NIAID.
Workshop on Sarcoidosis and on Immunologic Lung Diseases. NIAID is planning to hold a two-day workshop in September, 1997. This workshop will review new advances in understanding basic immune mechanisms, immune mechanisms in the respiratory tract, and the application of these observations to understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of sarcoidosis and other immunologic lung diseases. The workshop will also highlight areas of scientific opportunity and identify promising directions for future research.
American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, February 21-26, 1997. The thirteenth annual Symposium on Contemporary Topics in Immunology was cosponsored by NIAID, AAI and the Clinical Immunology Society and chaired by Drs. Helen Quill, Paul Kincade and Arnold Levinson. This year’s symposium included a presentation by the 1996 Nobel Laureate, Dr. Peter Doherty, on the immune control of gamma-herpes virus infections, as well as presentations on antigen transport across mucosal epithelia, the role of Fas-ligand in mediating immune privilege and the first crystal structures of the TCR and TCR-MHC-antigen complexes.
The NIAID and AAI cosponsored a workshop on grantsmanship and programs for under-represented minority investigators and students chaired by Drs. Quill, Robert Goldstein, Olivia Preble and Richard Goldsby.
NIAID and Bristol Meyers Squibb Co-Sponsor a Trial to Prevent Chronic Kidney Graft Rejection. The NIAID-supported Cooperative Clinical Trial in Adult Transplantation and Bristol Meyers Squibb have agreed to co-sponsor a clinical trial to determine if an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor will prevent (Irbesartin â ) chronic rejection. Bristol Meyers Squibb has agreed to supply the Irbesartin â and Pravastatin â for the trial and NIAID is performing all data analysis and patient recruitment in conjunction with its ongoing adult kidney transplant trials.
Xenotransplantation. There will be a scientific meeting July 21-22, 1997 at the Pooks Hill Marriott in Bethesda entitled "Cross-species infectivity and pathogenesis". This meeting will bring together experts in viral and bacterial infectivity to discuss specific issues related to the ability of infectious agents to cross species barriers and cause disease. Members of the Infectious Disease Society of America, American Society of Microbiology, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as members of the NIAID Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and Division of AIDS have been consulted about the agenda and speakers.
Diabetes Prevention Trial - Type 1 Launches Oral Trial. The Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1), a large nation-wide multi-center clinical trial, is testing whether insulin, used as an immunotherapy, will prevent or delay the development of diabetes mellitus in first degree relatives of patients with Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM). This is the first large scale clinical trial of antigen-based intervention for the prevention of an autoimmune disease is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIAID, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, and the American Diabetes Association.
Arthritis Research Conference. NIAID is co-sponsoring with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the Arthritis Foundation, and the American College of Rheumatology, the Arthritis Research Conference on May 29-June1, 1997. This conference will discuss major themes underlying contemporary arthritis research, including genetics, gene regulation, molecular immunology, and signaling. The meeting is designed to promote interactions between trainees and senior scientists and to stimulate new initiatives and foster collaborative interactions.
Workshop on Systemic Vasculitis. NIAID has received funds from the NIH Office of Rare Diseases to organize a workshop on Systemic Vasculitis. Examples include polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener’s granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, giant cell arteritis, and Takayasu’s arteritis. This workshop (scheduled for September 15, 1997) will convene a group of experts in vasculitis, inflammation, and immunology to evaluate current investigations and advise NIAID on future directions for research in this area.
Request for Proposals (RFP) - Primary Immunodeficiency Disease Registry
NIAID issued a Request for Proposals to support a five year program to establish and maintain a registry of clinical information on U.S. residents affected by primary immunodeficiency diseases. This project is based on the success of the existing registry for chronic granulomatous disease and the recommendations of a workshop which was convened by NIAID and the NIH Office of Rare Diseases to discuss the utility of a registry for additional primary immunodeficiency diseases.
Current Research and Future Directions: Immunological Basis for Vaccines
Ad hoc Council members and guests presented their current research efforts in the area of immunological basis for vaccines: Moderator, Dr. Charles Hackett, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Section Chief, Molecular and Structural Immunology, Basic Immunology Branch, DAIT introduced speakers and topics: Dr. Charles Janeway, Yale University: Setting the Stage for an Effective Immune Response; Dr. Paul Allen, Washington University: Antigenic Antagonism as a Cause of Vaccine Failure; Dr. Marc Jenkins, University of Minnesota: Memory Cell Induction, Maintenance, and Triggering; Dr. Jonathan Yewdell, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID: Epitope Immunodominance and its Role in Vaccine Design; Dr. Kenneth Rock, University of Massachusetts: Antigen Presenting Cells, Antigen Processing Pathways and Antigen Targeting; Dr. Mary Ann Robinson, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, NIAID: Human Genetics of Immune Responsiveness to Vaccines. Dr. Patricia Fast, Division of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) and
Dr. Regina Rabinovich, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), NIAID presented: Perspectives on Vaccines.
One proposed research emphasis area was presented, discussed and approved.
Basic and Clinical Research on Immune Tolerance: This NIAID-wide initiative would promote multidisciplinary, interactive research focused on the understanding and/or application of antigen-specific immune tolerance mechanisms. Projects that combine basic science with clinical research will be of special interest. The objectives are: (1) to promote a more complete understanding of the basic mechanisms responsible for inducing and maintaining immune tolerance in an antigen-specific manner, (2) to facilitate translation of experimental knowledge on immune tolerance into clinical therapies for the treatment or prevention of immune-mediated disease, and (3) to promote more effective development of vaccines by preventing pathogen-induced immune tolerance. back to top |