Parkinson Disease Research.

Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the most common neuromotor disease. Most cases begin after the age of 50, and the prevalence of the disease increases as a function of age. Like most diseases, Parkinson disease appears to arise from the interaction of three factors: individuals' inherited genetic susceptibility their subsequent environmental exposures, and their age. The NIEHS is currently teasing apart the contributions of these factors to Parkinson disease.

An earlier NIEHS-led neurodegenerative disease program announcement issued in partnership with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) titled Xenobiotics and Cell Death/Injury in Neurodegenerative Disease (PAS-99-054) continues to solicit new research projects, primarily in the area of Parkinson disease. An NIEHS-led partnership with the NINDS recently issued a targeted solicitation for research investigating the role of the environment in Parkinson disease. Fourteen highly meritorious applications were selected for funding from those received in response to this new initiative. These awards support diverse research approaches ranging from epidemiological investigations to the development of relevant animal and cellular models for exploring the mechanistic basis of the triggering, and progression of the underlying pathophysiology of the disease.

The NIEHS and the NINDS have also issued two cosponsored Parkinson disease-related requests for applications. The first is titled Mitochondrial Function and Neurodegeneration (RFA-NS-01-003), which is now being reviewed, and the second is The Role of Parkin and Related Proteins in Parkinson's Disease (RFA-NS-01-005).

In addition, the NIEHS convened national experts in population-based research on Parkinson disease to discuss ways of accelerating and advancing progress on population-based research aimed at elucidating the environmental risk factors for this disease. The purpose of this meeting was to exchange data and information on environmental risk factors and genetic susceptibility markers with respect to emerging issues and concepts in exposure assessment and biomonitoring, as well as promote opportunities for collaborative analyses (such as data pooling, meta-analyses, parallel analysis strategies, and new multicenter studies). The results of this meeting will provide guidance on the design of future initiatives for collaborative analyses in Parkinson disease epidemiology.

Finally, the NIEHS will continue to be proactive in its pursuit of Parkinson disease research, and will use a variety of innovative funding mechanisms, including PAS-99-054, Xenobiotics and Cell Death/Injury in Neurodegenerative Disease, to further advance our knowledge of the etiology and pathophysiology of Parkinson disease.

For more information, contact Annette Kirshner, e-mail: [e-mail].