|
|
Carole A. Heilman, Ph.D., Director, DMID
Dr. Carole Heilman, Director of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), chaired the NAAID Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Subcommittee meeting. In her opening remarks, Dr. Heilman asked to the Division Branch Chiefs to report on recent staff changes and to introduce new staff within their respective programs.
She then provided an update on DMID activities over the past few months, noting that the division has been busy with a number of issues, in addition to biodefense and SARS. In particular, she reported that:
• NIAID-supported scientists at two Texas universities have discovered how hepatitis C virus thwarts immune system efforts to eliminate it, which could lead to more effective treatments for liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus.
• DMID has initiated enrollment for the Phase III efficacy trial of GlaxoSmithKline’s glycoprotein D herpes vaccine to prevent genital herpes disease in women.
• an NIAID grantee is working to develop a Lyme disease vaccine, not against the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, but against tick salivary proteins.
• DMID sponsored the 12th annual International Centers for Tropical Disease Research meeting. The ICTDR continues to play a pivotal role in building research capacity and partnerships in countries struggling with the burden of tropical diseases. In conjunction with this meeting, two workshops were held; one provided guidance and instruction on grant writing, and one focused on grants management and resource accountability issues relevant to NIH grant awards.
• NIAID recently established two Emerging Virus and Prion Disease Research Centers in New York and Texas last fall -- both include a focus on West Nile and related viruses. In addition, she noted that many of the programs that have been recently developed and expanded for biodefense are available for other emerging infectious diseases, including West Nile.
Dr. Heilman reported that DMID has initiated a number of activities to address Severe Acquired Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Of note, she informed the Subcommittee that DMID has been able to tap into the aforementioned Emerging Virus Research Centers to quickly address key SARS research needs, such as the development of animal models and the implementation of SARS coronavirus receptor studies. The Institute has also been collaborating with colleagues at USAMRIID to screen existing antivirals and other compounds for activity against SARS.
On the biodefense front, Dr. Heilman indicated that the Institute continues to make tremendous scientific progress. Recently, through the NIAID-supported pathogen functional genomics resource center at TIGR, researchers produced the complete genetic blueprint of Bacillus anthracis-the microbe that gained notoriety during the 2001 anthrax mail attacks. In addition, the genetic blueprint of the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which can cause Q Fever, has also been deciphered and analyzed.
Dr. Heilman pointed out that Institute plans to fund many grants in FY03. In particular, the response to DMID’s biodefense initiatives from the biomedical research community, including academic components and industry, has been tremendous; many of the projects the Institute has recently funded or plan to fund will address some of the research gaps identified in NIAID’s Category A-C biodefense research agendas. She also noted that the Subcommittee was given a copy of the Institute’s one-year progress report on its research agenda for Category A agents of bioterrorism, which was released in February 2002. This one-year progress report describes both the scientific and programmatic progress that has been made toward addressing the immediate goals outlined in the research agenda. Dr. Heilman briefly described two key research initiatives developed in response to the Category A research agenda, the Cooperative Research for the Development of Vaccines, Adjuvants, Therapeutics, Immunotherapeutics, and Diagnostics for Biodefense, referred to as “VTAD,” which will support research in the early stages of product development, and the Biodefense Partnerships, which will support collaborative partnerships between government, academia, and the private sector for the development of specific (more developed) candidate vaccines, therapeutics, adjuvants and diagnostics against biological threat agents. Both have garnered tremendous interest and response from the research community.
Finally, she noted two important DMID-supported meetings: 1) At NIAID’s request, NAS is planning a two-day workshop in mid-June on the development of new therapies for smallpox infection; and 2) the Virology Branch, DMID, recently sponsored a scientific meeting that focused on recent research on orthopoxviruses.
Biodefense Infrastructure – Following Dr. Heilman’s report, Dr. Ernie Takafuji, Director of NIAID’s Office of Biodefense Research Affairs, provided a status update on NIAID’s soon-to-be-funded Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research (RCE) and the National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) and Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs) programs. The RCE’s are academic research centers; NBLs and RBLs will be part of the NIAID RCE Biodefense Network and will serve as a national resource for clinical and laboratory research and testing on hazardous biological agents in support of NIAID’s Biodefense Research Agenda. NBLs and RBLs also will assist national, state and local public health efforts in the event of a bioterrorism emergency. Dr. Takafuji also reported on two special meetings NIAID convened last winter to review ongoing research efforts in the development of medical countermeasures to radiological and chemical threats, respectively.
Finally, he provided a brief update on rules governing select agents. As background, Dr. Dennis M. Dixon, Chief of the Bacteriology and Mycology Branch, provided a brief update on rules governing select agents at the January Subcommittee meeting and discussed NIAID efforts to inform the research community of these rules. As part of new regulations enacted by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (PL 107-188), researchers are now required to register with the federal government and get approval to possess or use any pathogen or toxin defined as a “select agent. ” The CDC and the USDA are the agencies tasked with implementing this effort. At this meeting of the Subcommittee, Dr. Takafuji discussed the hurdles entailed in applying these U.S. laws to foreign institutions. However, he noted that the agencies charged implementing these rules are working to address these issues.
SARS Research Update – Dr. Kay Holmes, with the Molecular Biology Program at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, provided an update on her program’s SARS-related research activities. As background, Dr. Holmes’ research efforts have been focused on coronaviruses for many years. In recent months she has played a pivotal role in the current SARS outbreak and took this opportunity to discuss coronaviruses in general and to provide an overview of the University of Colorado’s related research activities. In addition, she shared highlights of a SARS meeting held in the Netherlands just prior to this Council meeting.
Following Dr. Holmes’ presentation, Dr. Heilman provided a brief overview of NIAID’s response to the SARS epidemic thus far in FY 2003, and outlined Institute plans for SARS in FY 2004. In summary, the components of DMID’s multifaceted response to SARS include: 1) development of countermeasures (vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, screening of therapeutics in conjunction with USAMRIID); clinical research; reagent production and creation of a repository; development of animal models; continuation of the basic coronavirus research program already in place before the SARS outbreak, as well as SARS-specific basic research (including genomics).
back to top |