Funding News - Research on Inflammatory Muscle Disease Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) invite grant applications for research on the pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory muscle disease. * Inflammatory muscle disease includes a number of different conditions characterized by muscle inflammation and repeated tissue degeneration and regeneration. Although there have been tremendous advances on the understanding of the cell biology, physiology, and molecular genetics of skeletal muscle, there is little information about how normal muscle cell function is affected by inflammatory processes. Potential areas of research interest include: clarification of the processes by which muscle cells are damaged and repaired in inflammatory muscle disease; exploration of immune responses in muscle diseases; studies that establish and clarify the role of cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immune responses to muscle substances and muscle-related structures; clarification of molecular and cellular aspects of tissue degeneration in inflammatory muscle disease; studies aimed at exploring pathogenetic mechanisms involving mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress; deeper exploration of the role of inflammation in genetic muscle diseases; delineation of the potential role of neurogenic influences in the origin of inflammatory muscle disease; studies that help define standard approaches to evaluate disease activity and damage and clinical outcomes; studies that help develop improved diagnostic procedures, using improved imaging techniques to better understand mechanisms of inflammatory muscle disease and monitor treatment; exploration of new types of therapy, including gene transfer and use of muscle stem cells; exploration of pharmacological interventions, including evaluations of the use of steroids; development, use, and sharing of appropriate animal models for inflammatory muscle disease; studies of the involvement of apoptotic cell death in the process of muscle fiber degeneration; and exploration of the relationship between inflammatory cells, muscle cell death, and blood vessels. For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. A.P. Kerza-Kwiatecki, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2115, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: (301) 496-1431; fax: (301) 402-2060; e-mail: ak45w@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-01-131.html.