Asthma and Allergic Diseases Research Centers.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the NIEHS invite applications for Asthma and Allergic Diseases Research Centers (AADRCs). This program is designed to support basic and clinical research on mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of asthma and allergic diseases. Applications are to be designed around a central scientific theme demonstrating relevance to one or more of these diseases. A minimum of three biomedical research projects must be proposed.

The purpose of the AADRC program is to accelerate the development and application of fundamental knowledge of the immune system to investigations of asthma and allergic diseases. The AADRCs provide an infrastructure and a collaborative environment that make it possible to investigate complex clinical problems. The major goals of the program are to advance understanding of the etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of asthma and allergic diseases and apply an expanded knowledge base to the development of improved methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of asthma and allergic diseases.

The goal of this announcement is to support multidisciplinary research programs focused on studies of immunologic and other mechanisms underlying human asthma and allergic diseases. NIEHS support will be provided for research centers and/or subprojects focused on basic, preclinical, and clinical research on the role of environmental factors in disease onset, progression, and severity. The application should include all appropriate balance of basic and clinical research, but with a major emphasis on human studies.

The scientifc scope of this program encompasses immunologically mediated inflammation and the role of innate and adaptive immunity as they pertain to asthma and allergic diseases. Preference for funding will be given to research in the following scientific areas: 1) developmental immunobiology of asthma and allergic diseases--evaluating events in the perinatal period, infancy, and childhood, including exposure to indoor allergens and other environmental agents that modulate IgE and other immune responses relevant to these diseases; 2) defining asthma phenotypes--characterizing the expression of asthma in relation to underlying mechanisms that distinguish distinct subsets of asthmatic patients; and 3) translational research from animal models to humans, particularly focused oil new immune therapies for asthma and allergic diseases, including studies that are proof of concept in man.

Prospective applicants should submit a letter of intent to Dr. Madelon Halula at the address listed below by 8 November 2000. Final applications are due 8 January 2001. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-00-012.html.

Contact: Madelon Halula, Division of Extramural Activities, NIAID, 6700-B Rockledge Drive, Room 2150, MSC 7616, Bethesda, MD 20892-7616 USA, 301-496-2636, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Kenneth Adams, Asthma and Inflammation Section, Asthma, Allergy, and Inflammation Branch, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation, NIAID, 6700-B Rockledge Drive, Room 5147, Bethesda, MD 20892-7640 USA, 301-496-8973, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; George Malindzak, Program Administrator, Organ and Systems Toxicology Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, NIEHS, PO Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA, 919-541-3289, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Reference: RFA No. AI-00-012