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Announcements for 2007

December 11, 2007 (historical)

NIAMS Funds Three New Centers of Research Translation

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has funded three new Centers of Research Translation (CORT). These centers will study systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) and psoriasis. The NIAMS CORTs are designed to bring together basic and clinical research in a way that helps translate basic discoveries into new drugs, treatments and diagnostics. CORT grants require centers to encompass at least three projects, including one clinical and one basic research study (http://www.niams.nih.gov/Funding/Funding_Opportunities/CORT_II_Guidelines_060911.pdf).

The three new centers are:

• Center for Genetic Dissection of SLE (lupus), headed by Chandra Mohan, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. This CORT will study mouse models of lupus to identify the genetic background of developmental stages of the disease. The research is based on previous studies that have identified two major steps leading to lupus in mice, and is aimed at identifying similar stages in the development of lupus in humans. The work may also uncover early markers and key molecular mediators of the disease, which could pave the way for new treatment opportunities for lupus.
• Center for New Approaches to Assess and Forestall Osteoarthritis in Injured Joints, headed by Joseph Buckwalter, M.D., at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The goal of this CORT is to develop new methods of forestalling post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) through a multidisciplinary approach including basic science, bioengineering, imaging and clinical research. Many common joint injuries increase the risk of developing PTOA. Despite improved surgical methods for treating joint injuries, this risk has not decreased appreciably in the last 20 years. The research in this CORT will lead to advances in methods of assessing joint injuries, new biologic approaches and improved minimally invasive surgical treatments of joint injury that will forestall PTOA.
• Center for Psoriasis Research Translation, headed by Kevin D. Cooper, M.D., at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio. In this CORT, a Phase I mechanistic, safety, and preliminary efficacy study will test a novel photodynamic therapy for psoriasis. Also, the roles of S100 proteins (potential therapeutic targets) in the pathogenesis of disease will be determined, and a novel mouse model will be developed to examine the development of the disease. Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects between 5.8 and 7.5 million people in the United States.

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about NIAMS, call the information Clearinghouse at (301) 495-4484 or (877) 22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS Web site at www.niams.nih.gov.