The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

Kidney Diseases Databases, Registries and Information

or http://www.bsc.gwu.edu/bsc/studies/edic.html    

An observational study examining the risk factors associated with the long-term complications of type 1 diabetes. The study began in 1994 and follows the 1441 participants previously enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT).

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cowie, DEM, Director, Diabetes Epidemiology Program.

The Centers are housed at outstanding academic institutions, staffed by experts in state-of-the-art technology. Researchers can ship mice to one of the four Centers and obtain on a fee-for-service basis a range of complex exams used to characterize mouse metabolism, blood composition including hormones, energy balance, eating and exercise, organ function and morphology, physiology and histology. Many tests are done in living animals and are designed to elucidate subtle to complex traits that would define models of metabolic disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Maren Laughlin, DEM, Senior Advisor for Integrative Metabolism.

The GenitoUrinary Development Molecular Anatomy Project (GUDMAP) is a consortium of laboratories working to provide the scientific and medical community with tools to facilitate research. The key components are:

• a molecular atlas of gene expression for the developing organs of the GenitoUrinary (GU) tract
• a high resolution molecular anatomy that highlights development of the GU system
• mouse strains to facilitate developmental and functional studies within the GU system
• tutorials describing GU organogenesis
• rapid access to primary data via the GUDMAP database

For more information, contact Dr. Elizabeth Wilder, KUH, Director, Developmental Biology of the Kidney and Urogenital Tract Program.

The National Gene Vector Laboratories (NGVL) are composed of an interactive group of academic production and pharm/tox laboratories whose primary goal is to provide eligible investigators with clinical grade vectors for phase I/II gene therapy clinical trials and to provide support for relevant pharmacology/toxicology studies leading up to clinical gene transfer protocols. If the application is approved, clinical grade material will be produced at no cost to the investigator.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine McKeon, DEM, Senior Advisor for Genetic Research in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases.

or http://www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov The kidney and urologic diseases clearinghouse provides comprehensive information about bladder and renal health and disease for the public: online, in booklets and fact sheets, by email, and over the phone.

For more information, contact Ms. Kathy Kranzfelder, OCPL, Director, NIDDK Information Clearinghouses.

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) aims to increase awareness of kidney disease and its risk factors, the importance of testing those at risk, and the availability of treatment to prevent or slow the progression to kidney failure. NKDEP’s target audiences include individuals at risk, particularly those with diabetes, high blood pressure, and a family history of kidney disease, and primary care providers.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Narva, Director, National Kidney Disease Education Program; Senior Scientific Advisor or Ms. Eileen Newman, Associate Director, National Kidney Diseases Education Program.

The U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) maintains a registry of human tissues in order to ensure the success and efficiency of the U.S. organ transplant system.

For more information, contact Dr. Thomas Eggerman, DEM, Director, Islet Transplantation Clinical Trials Program.

The United States Renal Data System (USRDS) is a national data system that collects, analyzes, and distributes information about chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States. The USRDS publishes and Annual data report which can be downloaded at http://www.usrds.org/adr.htm. The missions of the USRDS are: (1) To characterize the total renal patient population and describe the distribution of patients by socio-demographic variables across treatment modalities; (2) To report on the incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, and trends over time of renal disease by primary diagnosis, treatment modality and other variables; (3) To develop and analyze data on the effect of various modalities of treatment by disease and patient group categories; (4) To identify problems and opportunities for more focused special studies of renal research issues; (5) To conduct cost effectiveness studies and other economic studies of ESRD; and (6) To make the data available to investigators, and by supporting investigator-initiated projects, to conduct biomedical and economic analyses of ESRD patients. For more information, contact Dr. Paul Eggers, KUH, Director, Kidney and Urology Epidemiology Programs, or Dr. Lawrence Agodoa, KUH, Director, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination.

For more information, contact Dr. Lawrence Agodoa, KUH, Director, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination or Dr. Paul Eggers, KUH, Director, Kidney and Urology Epidemiology Programs.

Kidney Diseases Multicenter Clinical Research

The Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) Study is a clinical research study that is jointly sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institutes of Health in order to determine if an increased dose of dialysis will decrease mortality rates in patients with acute renal failure (ARF).

For more information, contact Dr. Robert Star, Director, Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

African Americans are disproportionately afflicted with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although better management of high blood pressure has led to a decline in the number of people who develop strokes and heart disease, the number of people developing kidney failure has increased. In 1990, the NIDDK launched an initiative to investigate the underlying cause of ESRD and to study mechanisms that could slow progression of hypertensive kidney disease in African Americans. The clinical trial was initiated to investigate whether a specific class of antihypertensive drugs (beta-adrenergic blockers, calcium channel blockers, or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors) and/or the level of blood pressure would influence progression of hypertensive kidney disease in African Americans. The pilot study started in 1992 with its full-scale trial from 1995 to 2002 followed by a current Continuation of AASK Cohort Study. Only patients who were previously in the randomized trial are eligible for the cohort study. The primary goal of the Continuation of AASK Cohort Study is to investigate the environmental, socio-economic, genetic, physiologic, and other co-morbid factors that influence progression of kidney disease in a well-characterized cohort of African Americans with hypertensive kidney disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Lawrence Agodoa, KUH, Director, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been recognized as a silent epidemic affecting more than ten million Americans. The burden of morbidity and mortality from CKD derives from the progression of chronic renal insufficiency to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the disproportionate risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the setting of CKD. The objectives of CRIC are to improve understanding of the relationship between CKD and CVD and to examine traditional and non-traditional (“uremia-related”) risk factors for progression of CKD and CVD among patients with reduced kidney function. The study, which started in 2001, is a prospective observational cohort study of approximately 3,000 men and women with CKD. This is the largest cohort study of CKD undertaken. A wide range of measurements are performed on CRIC Study participants including creatinine clearance and iothalamate measured glomerular filtration rate. Cardiovascular measures include blood pressure, ECG, ABI, ECHO, and EBCT. Clinical CV outcomes include MI, ischemic heart disease-related death, acute coronary syndromes, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and composite outcomes.

For more information, contact Dr. John Kusek, KUH, Senior Scientific Advisor for Clinical Trials.

Pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) is usually due to a primary urologic problem or glomerular disease, rather than a secondary process such as diabetes or hypertension as in adults. In addition, unlike adults who have completed their physiological and intellectual maturation, children are at the early stages of these developmental processes and are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of chronic disease. The CKiD study is a prospective, observational cohort of children with mild to moderate CKD. The CKiD study population will include a cohort of 540 children, age 1 – 16 years, expected to be enrolled over a 24-month period. The specific aims of the CKiD study are to: (1) identify novel and traditional renal disease risk factors for the progression of CKD (i.e., decline of GFR) in children; (2) characterize the impact of a decline in kidney function on neurodevelopment, cognitive abilities, and behavior; (3) identify the prevalence and evolution of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children with CKD, and; (4) examine the effects of declining GFR on growth and the treatment of growth failure, and to assess the consequences of growth failure on morbidity in children with CKD.

For more information, contact Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, KUH, Director, Kidney Centers Program; Pediatric Nephrology Program; Applied Kidney SBIR/STTR Program.

The Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation (CTOT) project is a cooperative research program sponsored by NIAID, NIDDK & NHLBI. This consortium is conducting clinical and associated mechanistic studies to facilitate improved outcomes for abdominal (kidney & liver) and thoracic (heart & lung) transplant recipients; short and long-term graft and patient survival.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Meyers, KUH, Director, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program.

As many as half a million people in the US and 4-6 million world-wide are estimated to have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The most common form is autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD). The original NIDDK funded Consortium of Radiologic Imaging Study of PKD (CRISP) measured the rates of change in total kidney volume and total cyst volume by MRI, and iothalamate GFR in 241 patients with ADPKD. The study found that kidney enlargement resulting from the expansion of cysts is continuous, quantifiable, and associated with the decline of renal function. Cystic expansion occurs at a consistent rate per individual, although it is heterogeneous in the population, and that larger kidneys are associated with more rapid decrease in renal function. These anatomic characteristics of patient kidneys may provide useful surrogate measures for disease progression, and hence enhance the development of targeted therapies for autosomal dominant PKD. CRISP II is a five-year prospective cohort study to follow 200 ADPKD patients who were part of the original CRISP cohort study. CRISP II will verify and extend the preliminary observations of CRISP to determine the extent to which quantitative (kidney volume and hepatic and kidney cyst volume) or qualitative (cyst distribution and character) structural parameters predict renal insufficiency and develop and test new metrics to quantify and monitor disease progression. This information from CRISP II will help determine if the kidney enlargement can function as an informative surrogate measure for disease progression.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Meyers, KUH, Director, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program or Dr. Laura Moen, KUH, Director, Renal and Urology Training, Renal Biochemistry and AIDS/HIV Programs.

The DCCT is a clinical study conducted from 1983 to 1993 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The study showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible slows the onset and progression of eye, kidney, and nerve diseases caused by diabetes. EDIC is a follow-up study of people who participated in DCCT.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cowie, DEM, Director, Diabetes Epidemiology Program.

Maintenance of vascular access is one of the major challenges in the care of dialysis patients. Two clinical trials under the Dialysis Access Consortium are studying the effects of anti-clotting agents in preventing graft and fistula failure.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Meyers, KUH, Director, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program.

or http://www.bsc.gwu.edu/bsc/studies/edic.html    

An observational study examining the risk factors associated with the long-term complications of type 1 diabetes. The study began in 1994 and follows the 1441 participants previously enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT).

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Cowie, DEM, Director, Diabetes Epidemiology Program.

The FIND consortium is carrying out studies to elucidate the genetic susceptibility to kidney disease in patients, especially those with diabetes mellitus, as well as genetic susceptibility to retinopathy in diabetic patients. Because families of patients with diabetic nephropathy have an increased prevalence of renal disease and certain populations appear to be more susceptible, delineating the genetic loci associated with the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy could lead to improved outcomes. To accomplish this, the NIDDK established the Family Investigation of Nephropathy of Diabetes (FIND) Consortium in 1999. The overall goal of FIND is to identify genetic pathways that may be critical for the development of nephropathy and lead to candidates amenable to therapeutic strategies to prevent the onset or progression of nephropathy. Such data might aid identification of people at risk for the development of progressive renal disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Rebekah Rasooly, Deputy Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

The NIDDK has formed a collaborative network of research centers that will test the effects of treatment with cyclosporine to treatment with mycophenalate mofetil combined with oral pulse dexamethasone in children and young adults with focal segemental glomerulosclerosis. Efficacy will be assessed in terms of induction of remission of proteinuria after 52 weeks of treatment and sustained remission after 26 weeks off treatment.

For more information, contact Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, KUH, Director, Kidney Centers Program; Pediatric Nephrology Program; Applied Kidney SBIR/STTR Program.

The Folic Acid for Vascular Outcome Reduction In Transplantation (FAVORIT) project is a multi-center, randomized, double blind controlled clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. This study is designed to determine whether treatment with a standard multivitamin augmented with high doses of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 reduces the rate of cardiovascular disease outcomes in renal transplant recipients relative to participants receiving a similar multivitamin that contains no folic acid.

For more information, contact Dr. John Kusek, KUH, Senior Scientific Advisor for Clinical Trials.

The NIDDK-funded hemodialysis (HEMO) trial found that a modest increase in dialysis dose delivered 3 times a week did not improve mortality; however, the dose was not dramatically increased. The Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) is testing two different approaches to increasing dialysis at Clinical Centers in the U.S. and Canada. The FHN Daily Trial is a randomized controlled trial that randomizes 250 subjects to either conventional hemodialysis delivered for at least 2.5 hours, 3 days per week, or to more frequent hemodialysis delivered for 1.5 – 2.75 hours, 6 days per week. Subjects will be followed for 12 months. The current FHN Nocturnal Trial randomizes 250 subjects to home conventional hemodialysis delivered three days per week or to nocturnal home hemodialysis given six times per week that provides a standardized Kt/V equal to or greater than 4 and treatment equal to or longer than 6.0 hours. Due to the necessity of training for home dialysis, subjects are followed for 14 months. Two outcomes are being assessed in both trials. The first is a composite measure of change in left ventricular mass or death. The second is a composite of change in the physical health composite of the SF36 or death.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Eggers, KUH, Director, Kidney and Urology Epidemiology Programs or Dr. Andrew Narva, Director, National Kidney Disease Education Program; Senior Scientific Advisor.

As many as half a million people in the U.S. and 4-6 million world-wide are estimated to have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The most common form is the autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD). The HALT PKD Consortium was established to design and implement clinical trials of treatments that might slow the progressive loss of renal function in PKD. Two multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trials are running concurrently to study the efficacy of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade on the progression of cystic disease (kidney volume) and on the decline in renal function in ADPKD. Study A is to study whether intensive ACE-I/ARB blockade decrease the progression of cystic disease compared to ACE-I monotherapy patients with early disease, relatively preserved renal function, and high-normal BP or hypertension. Study B is to study whether intensive ACE-I/ARB blockade as compared to ACE-I monotherapy slow the decline in kidney function, end-stage of renal disease, or death in the setting of standard blood pressure control in hypertensive patients with moderately advanced disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Meyers, KUH, Director, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program or Dr. Laura Moen, KUH, Director, Renal and Urology Training, Renal Biochemistry and AIDS/HIV Programs.

This prospective cohort study will address whether kidney donation increases the risk of developing end-stage kidney disease and/or increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Pairs of living unrelated or distantly related kidney transplant donors and normal sibling controls will be enrolled and followed over time.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine Meyers, KUH, Director, Inflammatory Kidney Diseases Program.

The multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled RIVUR trial is designed to determine whether daily antimicrobial prophylaxis is superior to placebo in preventing recurrence of UTI in children with VUR. The basic eligibility criteria are: (1) age at randomization of at least 2 months, but less than 6 years, (2) a diagnosed first febrile or symptomatic UTI within 42 days prior to randomization that was appropriately treated, and (3) presence of Grade I-IV VUR based on voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG). Patients will be randomly assigned to treatment for 2 years with daily antimicrobial prophylaxis (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) or placebo. The study is designed to recruit 600 children (approximately 300 in each treatment group) over an 18-24 month period. The primary endpoint is recurrence of UTI. In addition, patients will be evaluated for secondary endpoints related to renal scarring and antimicrobial resistance. Scarring will be determined based on renal scintigraphy by 99mTc dimercaptosuccinic (DMSA) scan. Quality of life, compliance, safety parameters, utilization of health resources, and change in VUR will be assessed periodically throughout the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, KUH, Director, Kidney Centers Program; Pediatric Nephrology Program; Applied Kidney SBIR/STTR Program or Dr. Leroy Nyberg, KUH, Director, Urology Programs.

The specific aim of this study was to determine whether treatment at the early stages of Diabetes mellitus (DM) can slow or stop diabetic nephropathy (DN) structural changes. Two hundred eight five pts ages 16-59 with 2-20 yrs of Type 1 DM and no renal functional abnormalities were randomized into a parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 3 groups (95 pts/group). Each group received an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) (enalapril), or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (Losartan), or placebo. All pts had their usual DM management. Baseline studies included measures of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary albumin excretion rate (UAE), blood pressure (BP), and a percutaneous renal biopsy. Pts were followed by quarterly measures of BP, HbA1C, UAE, and drug compliance. There were annual measures of GFR and a repeat renal biopsy after 5 yrs in the study. The main endpoint is kidney structural changes over time, especially mesangial fractional volume [v(Mes/glom)]. Secondary endpoints will be other DN structural measures and measures of kidney function (UAE, GFR). These studies will determine whether rennin angiotensin system blockage in the early stages of DN can prevent the early kidney structural changes in this important disorder. Ancillary studies will evaluate the effects of treatment group on the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and will develop predictors of study participants' compliance. The study has now been completed, and the data are being analyzed.

For more information, contact Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, KUH, Director, Kidney Centers Program; Pediatric Nephrology Program; Applied Kidney SBIR/STTR Program.

Kidney Diseases Basic Research Networks

The AMDCC is an interdisciplinary consortium designed to develop animal models that closely mimic the human complications of diabetes for the purpose of studying disease pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. The consortium consists of thirteen “pathobiology sites” that study complications such as diabetic nephropathy, uropathy, neuropathy, cardiomyopathy and vascular disease. Additional goals of the AMDCC are to define standards to validate each diabetic complication for its similarity to the human disease, test the role of candidate genes that emerge from human genetic studies, and facilitate the exchange of animals, reagents, and expertise between members of the consortium and the greater scientific community. To ensure that all mice generated under the auspices of the AMDCC are phenotyped for a full duration of diabetes and across all relevant complications, the consortium has formed a close partnership with the NIDDK-funded Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers (MMPCs). The MMPCs (www.mmpc.org) conduct detailed metabolic phenotyping of genetically altered mice and other mouse models that are useful for understanding diabetes and its complications, obesity, and related metabolic diseases or conditions.

For more information, contact Dr. Chris Ketchum, KUH, Director, Basic Renal Biology Program.

On July 1, 2003, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established Central NIDDK Repositories for biosamples and data collected in clinical studies. The purpose of the Central Repositories is to expand the usefulness of these studies by providing access to the biosamples and data to a wider research community beyond the end of the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Rebekah Rasooly, Deputy Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

The Centers are housed at outstanding academic institutions, staffed by experts in state-of-the-art technology. Researchers can ship mice to one of the four Centers and obtain on a fee-for-service basis a range of complex exams used to characterize mouse metabolism, blood composition including hormones, energy balance, eating and exercise, organ function and morphology, physiology and histology. Many tests are done in living animals and are designed to elucidate subtle to complex traits that would define models of metabolic disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Maren Laughlin, DEM, Senior Advisor for Integrative Metabolism.

NMRI is a communication network of current and potential biomedical research investigators and technical personnel from traditionally under-served communities: African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders. The major objective of the network is to encourage and facilitate participation of members of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups in the conduct of biomedical research in the fields of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, digestive diseases, nutrition, kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. A second objective is to encourage and enhance the potential of the underrepresented minority investigators in choosing a biomedical research career in these fields. An important component of this network is promotion of two-way communications between network members and the NIDDK.

For more information, contact Ms. Winnie Martinez, Program Analyst, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination.

Kidney Diseases Reagents

On July 1, 2003, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established Central NIDDK Repositories for biosamples and data collected in clinical studies. The purpose of the Central Repositories is to expand the usefulness of these studies by providing access to the biosamples and data to a wider research community beyond the end of the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Rebekah Rasooly, Deputy Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

The National Gene Vector Laboratories (NGVL) are composed of an interactive group of academic production and pharm/tox laboratories whose primary goal is to provide eligible investigators with clinical grade vectors for phase I/II gene therapy clinical trials and to provide support for relevant pharmacology/toxicology studies leading up to clinical gene transfer protocols. If the application is approved, clinical grade material will be produced at no cost to the investigator.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine McKeon, DEM, Senior Advisor for Genetic Research in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases.

Kidney Diseases Services

A centralized facility established to provide genotyping and statistical genetics services for investigators seeking to identify genes that contribute to human disease. CIDR concentrates primarily on multifactorial hereditary disease although linage analysis of single gene disorders can also be accommodated.

For more information, contact Dr. Catherine McKeon, DEM, Senior Advisor for Genetic Research in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases.

On July 1, 2003, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established Central NIDDK Repositories for biosamples and data collected in clinical studies. The purpose of the Central Repositories is to expand the usefulness of these studies by providing access to the biosamples and data to a wider research community beyond the end of the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Rebekah Rasooly, Deputy Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

The Centers are housed at outstanding academic institutions, staffed by experts in state-of-the-art technology. Researchers can ship mice to one of the four Centers and obtain on a fee-for-service basis a range of complex exams used to characterize mouse metabolism, blood composition including hormones, energy balance, eating and exercise, organ function and morphology, physiology and histology. Many tests are done in living animals and are designed to elucidate subtle to complex traits that would define models of metabolic disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Maren Laughlin, DEM, Senior Advisor for Integrative Metabolism.

NIH RAID provides a variety of contract services researchers need to bring promising potential therapeutics to trial.

Kidney Diseases Standardization Programs

The NKDEP Laboratory Working Group has launched the Creatinine Standardization Program to address inter-laboratory variation in creatinine assay calibration and provide more accurate estimates of GFR.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Narva, Director, National Kidney Disease Education Program; Senior Scientific Advisor.

Kidney Diseases Tissues, Cells, Animals

The AMDCC is an interdisciplinary consortium designed to develop animal models that closely mimic the human complications of diabetes for the purpose of studying disease pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. The consortium consists of thirteen “pathobiology sites” that study complications such as diabetic nephropathy, uropathy, neuropathy, cardiomyopathy and vascular disease. Additional goals of the AMDCC are to define standards to validate each diabetic complication for its similarity to the human disease, test the role of candidate genes that emerge from human genetic studies, and facilitate the exchange of animals, reagents, and expertise between members of the consortium and the greater scientific community. To ensure that all mice generated under the auspices of the AMDCC are phenotyped for a full duration of diabetes and across all relevant complications, the consortium has formed a close partnership with the NIDDK-funded Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers (MMPCs). The MMPCs (www.mmpc.org) conduct detailed metabolic phenotyping of genetically altered mice and other mouse models that are useful for understanding diabetes and its complications, obesity, and related metabolic diseases or conditions.

For more information, contact Dr. Chris Ketchum, KUH, Director, Basic Renal Biology Program.

On July 1, 2003, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established Central NIDDK Repositories for biosamples and data collected in clinical studies. The purpose of the Central Repositories is to expand the usefulness of these studies by providing access to the biosamples and data to a wider research community beyond the end of the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Rebekah Rasooly, Deputy Director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases.

To encourage the application of proteomic and metabolomic technologies to study type 1 diabetes and its complications, the NIDDK is fostering collaborations between researchers studying type 1 diabetes and investigators with expertise in Proteomics and/or Metabolomics.

For more information, contact Dr. Salvatore Sechi, DEM, Director, Proteomic Program.

The Centers are housed at outstanding academic institutions, staffed by experts in state-of-the-art technology. Researchers can ship mice to one of the four Centers and obtain on a fee-for-service basis a range of complex exams used to characterize mouse metabolism, blood composition including hormones, energy balance, eating and exercise, organ function and morphology, physiology and histology. Many tests are done in living animals and are designed to elucidate subtle to complex traits that would define models of metabolic disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Maren Laughlin, DEM, Senior Advisor for Integrative Metabolism.

The goal of the MMRRC program is to enhance the availability of and help ensure the quality of genetically modified mice for biomedical research of human and animal biology and disease.

For more information, contact Dr. Kristin Abraham, DEM, Director, Cell Signaling and Diabetes Centers Program.

NIDDK has funded a Type 1 Diabetes Resource (T1DR) at The Jackson Laboratory (TJL). The purpose of this resource is to collect and cryopreserve ~150 mouse stocks important to research in type 1 diabetes.

For more information, contact Dr. Kristin Abraham, DEM, Director, Cell Signaling and Diabetes Centers Program.

Kidney Diseases Useful Tools

The NKDEP Laboratory Working Group has launched the Creatinine Standardization Program to address inter-laboratory variation in creatinine assay calibration and provide more accurate estimates of GFR.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Narva, Director, National Kidney Disease Education Program; Senior Scientific Advisor.

The National Kidney Disease Education Program provides the MDRD GFR Calculator for adults and the Schwartz GFR Calculator for children.