Funding News - Applications Requested to Develop New Therapeutics and Monitoring Technologies for Type 1 Diabetes and its Complications

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) requests small business innovation research (SBIR) and small business technology transfer (STTR) applications to develop new therapeutics and monitoring technologies for type 1 diabetes and its complications.  This announcement is made together with 5 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

Type I diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing cells and affects an estimated one million Americans—usually with onset in childhood or young adulthood. The disease markedly impairs quality of life and shortens life expectancy.  This announcement is intended to support innovative research on T1D and its complications.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, studies to:  develop high throughput assays based on biologic pathways likely involved in the pathogenesis of T1D and its complications that could be used to screen molecular libraries for novel therapeutic agents; explore different islet/beta cell sources (pig, fish, others) for xenotransplantation and their possible humanization to make them more functionally efficient and able to avoid rejection by the recipient immune system; improve efficiency and efficacy of islet isolation methods in order to obtain higher yield and viability; develop methods for ex-vivo expansion of cadaveric islets; develop technology to improve transportation and maintenance of healthy islets; develop accurate surrogate markers (biomarkers) to monitor the progression to development of T1D and its complications or for quantitatively assessing response to therapy intended to prevent or reverse the disease; develop methods for measuring the pancreatic beta cell mass, function, and/or detection of early inflammation; and develop assays able to diagnose islet rejection at an early stage.

LETTERS OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE:  February 15, 2006.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE:  March 15, 2006.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. John Porter, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2142, Bethesda, MD  20892; telephone:  301-496-1917; fax:  301-402-1501; e-mail:  jp477n@nih.gov.

*For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this RFA, please visit the NIH web site at:  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-05-010.html.