Daniel Rotrosen, M.D.
Acting Director, DAIT, NIAID
Elizabeth Adams, M.D. has taken a position in the NIAID Division of AIDS, serving as a Medical Officer in the Therapeutic Research Program. Dr. Adams joined the Division’s staff in April of last year as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Director. In her new position, she will be involved in various aspects of protocol development and the oversight of clinical trials for HIV therapeutics.
Dr. Rotrosen announced the following published research initiative:
Clinical Trials and Clinical Markers for Immunologic Diseases: This Request for Proposals (RFP) was published on July 24, 1998 and will support multiple Broad Agency Agreements aimed at increasing the clinical application of knowledge gained from basic research on immunologic diseases.
Dr. Rotrosen also highlighted the following scientific activities:
Children’s Environmental Health Asthma Initiative: President Clinton established the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks in Children, chaired by Dr. Donna Shalala, Secretary of DHHS, and Carol M. Browner, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. This Task Force identified asthma as a priority area. NIAID has been an active participant in the Asthma Priority Workgroup of this Task Force. The Workgroup is charged with developing an initiative for asthma, focusing on environmental influences and asthma in children.
Research on the Health Effects of Airborne Particulate Matter on Children with Asthma: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning a collaborative study with the NIAID-NIEHS sponsored Inner-City Asthma Study. The objective of the study is to evaluate the health effects of airborne particulate matter and co-pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and tobacco smoke, on moderate to severely asthmatic children in inner-city communities.
Asthma Workshops: NIAID is organizing workshops on asthma at both the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) meeting in Orlando in February-March 1999, and at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) meeting in San Diego in April 1999. The theme of the AAAAI meeting will be "Primary Prevention of Asthma." The theme of the ATS meeting will be "Environmental Control and Immune Modulation in the Treatment of Asthma."
GAO Review of Indoor Environmental Pollution: The GAO has begun to review research activities by EPA and other governmental agencies with the aim of developing an integrated, cost-effective research plan to address gaps in current understanding of health risks, especially risks for asthma, posed by indoor environmental pollution. NIAID has been designated the lead NIH institute for an evaluation of the research activities at NIH. NHLBI and NIEHS will participate, along with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the CDC.
National Library of Medicine Exhibition on Asthma: "Breath of Life": NLM, in collaboration with NHLBI, NIAID and NIEHS, is developing an exhibition that highlights the history of asthma, the experiences of people with asthma, and contemporary research and management efforts to control the disease. The exhibit will open in the spring of 1999.
Asthma and Healthy People 2010: The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, DHHS, is developing goals for increasing years and quality of life, and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, for a series of diseases for the forthcoming publication, Healthy People 2010. NIAID is participating in preparing and editing the section on asthma in the chapter on Lung Diseases, along with NHLBI, NIEHS, and CDC.
NIAID Task Force on Immunology: The Report of the 1998 NIAID Task Force on Immunology, coordinated by Dr. Helen Quill, Chief, Basic Immunology Branch, was published in September 1998. The goal of the Task Force was to examine the current status of immunological research and, more importantly, to define the most promising opportunities for future research in a variety of immunologically related areas.
Expert Panel on Basic Immunology of Vaccines: The role of basic immunology in the improvement of vaccines was the focus of a working meeting convened by Dr. Charles Hackett, Chief, Molecular and Structural Immunology Section, on June 9, 1998. The expert panel was comprised of basic, clinical, and industry vaccine researchers. Recommendations from the panel centered on three major topics:1) integrating the functions of basic immunologists and clinicians in vaccine research; 2) focusing on the host-pathogen interface as the new frontier for vaccine discoveries; and 3) providing leadership for increasing basic immunology in vaccine research. These recommendations will provide important guidance in the development of future research initiatives.
NIH Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee: In the FY 1998 Congressional Appropriations Reports, the House and Senate urged the NIH to convene a coordinating committee for autoimmune disease research to synergize research efforts among the Institutes and facilitate advances in this area. Dr. Varmus designated NIAID to be the lead Institute to organize and manage the activities of this new committee
Transplantation Program Review: NIAID’s transplantation research program has grown steadily over the past eight years to become the largest NIH program of its type, supporting cutting edge basic, preclinical and clinical research. To provide input into the future directions for the program, the NIAID assembled a panel of outside experts to identify gaps and opportunities for future research. The panel met on September 22nd and 23rd and reviewed all transplant-related research supported by NIAID. A summary of recommendations will be prepared and posted on the NIAID web page.
Intellectual Property and Industry/Academia/NIH Collaborations
Ad hoc Council members and guests presented a highly stimulating and lively discussion on current issues related to intellectual property, patenting and licensing in biology. Moderators, Drs. Vicki Seyfert, Chief, Immunoregulation section and Stephen Rose, Chief, Genetics and Transplantation Branch, introduced speakers and topics: Mr. Tom Wiseman, Esq., Morrison & Foerster: Patenting and Meeting the Needs of Industry; Dr. Joseph Davie, BIOGEN: Industry/Academia Collaboration – A Biotechnology Company Perspective; Ms Joyce Brinton, Esq., Harvard University: Patenting and Technology Transfer in Academia – Meeting Institutions’ Needs; Dr. Jeff Ledbetter, Xcyte Therapies: Patenting – the Scientist’s Perspective; Dr. Daniel Salomon, The Scripps Research Institute: Intellectual Property Rights in Academia.
Concept Review
Two concepts were presented, and approved.
Collaborative Network for Clinical Research on Immune Tolerance: This initiative would support a consortium of basic and clinical scientist to: (1) develop a scientific agenda for clinical trials and mechanistic studies of various approaches to tolerance induction; (2) develop, test and validate assays to measure the induction, maintenance and loss of immune tolerance in humans; (3) design and conduct clinical trials at all phases to determine the feasibility, safety, toxicity and efficacy of tolerogenic intervention strategies for multiple immune system diseases; and (4) design and conduct research to delineate the underlying mechanisms of immune tolerance in conjunction with clinical trials undertaken by the Collaborative Network as well as clinical trials sponsored by other Federal and private sector organizations and companies.
Statistical and Clinical Coordinating Center for NIAID Tolerance Network and Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence: This initiative will establish the Statistical and Clinical Coordinating Center (SACCC) to provide statistical, regulatory, technical and administrative support for two research programs: the NIAID Collaborative Network for Clinical Research on Immune Tolerance, to be established in FY 2000, and the NIAID Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence, to be established in FY 1999. back to top |