http://www.nih.gov/news/ News Releases from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) en-us 60 http://www.nih.gov/images/nih50.gif http://www.nih.gov/news/ 50 50 http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/ncrr-05.htm The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced today it will provide up to an estimated $122 million over the next five years to fund Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) in seven IDeA-eligible states. By promoting the development, coordination and sharing of research resources and expertise, these awards expand research opportunities and increase the number of competitive investigators in 23 eligible states and Puerto Rico. The INBRE is a component of the IDeA program, which is designed to improve the competitiveness of investigators in states that historically have not received significant levels of NIH research funding. Tue, 05 May 2009 11:10:00 EDT 11809@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/ncrr-05.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/niaid-05.htm Today, on World Asthma Day, we at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), components of the National Institutes of Health, stand together with the international community to renew our dedication to understand the causes of asthma and to find better ways to treat, prevent and manage this disease. Tue, 05 May 2009 10:00:00 EDT 11709@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/niaid-05.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/fic-04.htm The Fogarty International Center, part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced it will award approximately $537,000 over three years to fund international research collaboration at five universities. Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA) grants are given jointly to an NIH-supported investigator and an overseas collaborator in a low- and middle-income country, with the financial support going to the foreign collaborator. The FIRCA program is intended to benefit the research interests of both collaborators while increasing research capacity at the foreign site. Mon, 04 May 2009 16:35:00 EDT 11609@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/fic-04.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nci-04.htm Government and private sector cancer scientists today launched a research partnership to find biomarkers for lung cancer that develops in people who have never smoked. The research studies are designed to create a better understanding of the biology of lung cancer and to develop a test to detect early-stage lung cancer in lifetime nonsmokers. The Canary Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds research in early cancer detection, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, are sponsoring this multi-institutional effort. NCI's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) and the Canary Foundation will provide initial funding of $1 million each. Mon, 04 May 2009 10:10:00 EDT 11509@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nci-04.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nci-04.htm Government and private sector cancer scientists today launched a research partnership to find biomarkers for lung cancer that develops in people who have never smoked. The research studies are designed to create a better understanding of the biology of lung cancer and to develop a test to detect early-stage lung cancer in lifetime nonsmokers. The Canary Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds research in early cancer detection, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, are sponsoring this multi-institutional effort. NCI's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) and the Canary Foundation will provide initial funding of $1 million each. Mon, 04 May 2009 10:10:00 EDT 11509@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nci-04.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/niehs-04.htm A new study indicates there may be yet another reason to reduce childhood obesity -- it may help prevent allergies. The study published in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that obese children and adolescents are at increased risk of having some kind of allergy, especially to a food. The study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), both parts of the National Institutes of Health. Mon, 04 May 2009 10:10:00 EDT 11409@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/niehs-04.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/ninds-03.htm Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene associated with narcolepsy, a disorder that causes disabling daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks, irresistible bouts of sleep that can strike at any time, and disturbed sleep at night. The gene has a known role in the immune system, which strongly suggests that autoimmunity, in which the immune system turns against the body's own tissues, plays an important role in the disorder. Mon, 04 May 2009 10:10:00 EDT 11309@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/ninds-03.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/od-29.htm The National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) announces the appointment of five new members: Margery L.S. Gass, M.D., Paula Adina Johnson, M.D., Jeanne Craig Sinkford, D.D.S., Farida Sohrabji, Ph.D., and Gary E. Striker, M.D. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:10:00 EDT 11209@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/od-29.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/ninds-28.htm In three studies, including the most comprehensive study of autism genetics to date, investigators funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have identified common and rare genetic factors that affect the risk of autism spectrum disorders. The results point to the importance of genes that are involved in forming and maintaining the connections between brain cells. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EDT 11109@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/ninds-28.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-28.htm Officials from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and from China's Henan Provincial Bureau of Health will meet in Zhengzhou, China, on April 29 to sign an implementation arrangement intended to foster research on tuberculosis, including clinical research on new treatments for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). The Henan Provincial Bureau of Health and the NIAID plan to develop jointly a collaborative TB research program at the Henan Provincial Chest Hospital. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:15:00 EDT 11009@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-28.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niehs-28.htm The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) will take part on May 1 in a disaster training exercise with several other agencies in Cincinnati, Ohio. The exercise will include a table top instructional activity to respond to a simulated explosion and dispersion of chemicals from a Cincinnati business, as well as displays and stations for the participants to conduct hands-on work. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:15:00 EDT 10909@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niehs-28.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niehs-27.htm Representatives from four international agencies, including the director of the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), today signed a memorandum of cooperation that could reduce the number of animals required for consumer product safety testing worldwide. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:15:00 EDT 10809@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niehs-27.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-24.htm On April 25, we commemorate the second World Malaria Day with a renewed commitment to work with our global partners to accelerate the fight against malaria throughout the world. We embrace the theme of this year's World Malaria Day, "Counting Malaria Out," by recognizing that the ultimate goal of ridding malaria from every region of the globe will require three phases: control, elimination and, finally, eradication. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EDT 10709@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-24.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nichd-24.htm The National Children's Study, the federal government's comprehensive study of how genes and the environment interact to affect children's health, has activated five additional centers to begin recruiting prospective volunteers in five new communities. These Vanguard Centers join two centers activated previously to recruit volunteers for the feasibility phase of the study, in which the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will review the size, scope, and cost projections for the full study. The data gleaned from the feasibility phase will be used to inform the final research design. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:25:00 EDT 10609@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nichd-24.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhgri-23.htm The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that an international consortium of researchers has published the genome of domestic cattle, the first livestock mammal to have its genetic blueprint sequenced and analyzed. The landmark research will bolster efforts to produce better beef and dairy products and lead to a better understanding of the human genome. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:05:00 EDT 10509@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhgri-23.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-22.htm Now, researchers have identified cellular components in mosquitoes and in humans that dengue virus uses to multiply inside these hosts after infecting them. Their findings could lead to the development of anti-dengue drugs that would inhibit one or more of these host factors, thus curtailing infection and the development of disease. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:05:00 EDT 10409@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-22.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/cc-22.htm A new Center for Interventional Oncology has been established at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC). It offers new and expanded opportunities to investigate cancer therapies that use imaging technology to diagnose and treat localized cancers in ways that are precisely targeted and minimally or non-invasive. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:15:00 EDT 10309@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/cc-22.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nci-20a.htm Researchers have described how a common genetic variation may be involved in the development of prostate cancer. The variant occurs in a gene known to be involved in prostate function. The study, which included a team of researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, uncovered how a small change in the DNA of the gene impacts the biology of prostate cancer risk. The study was published online April 20, 2009, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:55:00 EDT 10209@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nci-20a.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nci-20.htm At the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D., announced major details, such as funding more grants, development of a platform for personalized cancer care, and an accelerated cancer genetics program, that will move cancer research forward in this new economic environment. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:46:00 EDT 10109@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nci-20.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nida-20.htm Washington, D.C. – The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, today unveiled its first comprehensive Physicians' Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, which gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit, and nonmedical prescription drug use. The NIDAMED resources include an online screening tool, a companion quick reference guide, and a comprehensive resource guide for clinicians. The initiative stresses the importance of the patient-doctor relationship in identifying unhealthy behaviors before they evolve into life threatening conditions. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT 10009@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nida-20.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhgri-20.htm The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the release of the first version of a free online toolkit aimed at standardizing measurements of research subjects' physical characteristics and environmental exposures. The tools will give researchers more power to compare data from multiple studies, accelerating efforts to understand the complex genetic and environmental factors that cause cancer, heart disease, depression and other common diseases. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EDT 09909@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhgri-20.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-16.htm The first complete update in five years of the U.S. guidelines for preventing and treating HIV-associated opportunistic infections has been released by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT 09809@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-16.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/fic-16.htm The Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health today announced it will award $11.75 million over five years in grants to institutions to strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Haiti, Uganda and China and establish a new program in Tanzania. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EDT 09709@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/fic-16.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhlbi-15.htm Scientists have identified a previously unknown connection between two genetic variants and an increased risk of stroke, providing strong evidence for the existence of specific genes that help explain the genetic component of stroke. The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health and by several other NIH institutes and centers. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EDT 09609@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/nhlbi-15.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/fic-14.htm The Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health has awarded seven grants totaling almost $2.7 million to train HIV/AIDS researchers in 15 low- and middle-income countries. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:15:00 EDT 09509@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/fic-14.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/od-13.htm The National Institutes of Health highlighted a new funding opportunity under the Recovery Act that will support approximately $200 million in large-scale research projects that have a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health and health care delivery. The purpose of this new program, the Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (GO), is to support high impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term funding and may lay the foundation for new fields of scientific inquiry. Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:15:00 EDT 09409@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/od-13.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-13.htm The month of April is observed as National Donate Life Month in recognition of those whose organ, tissue, and marrow donations have saved and enhanced lives. It is a time to honor their decision to donate, their generosity of spirit, and their families who supported those donations. Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:05:00 EDT 09309@http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2009/niaid-13.htm