A Consortium for Gut-Brain Communication in Parkinsons Disease (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Background
The Gut-Brain Communication in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Consortium (GBPDC) aims to establish a network of individual research projects and a Coordinating Center focused on clinical research. The initiative seeks to recruit sufficient patients and use standardized protocols to collect data and biospecimens relevant to both neurology and gastroenterology research on PD. The consortium also aims to share data, biomaterials, models, reagents, resources, and methods among projects in the GBPDC and make these publicly available through the Coordinating Center. The objective is to accelerate research on the role of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and changes in gut-brain communication in the initiation and pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.

Grant Details
The activities of the GBPDC will include harmonizing participant recruitment and use of standardized protocols to collect data and biospecimens relevant to both neurology and gastroenterology research; sharing data, biosamples, models, reagents, resources, and methods among projects in the GBPDC; making these publicly available through the Coordinating Center. The consortium will collect prospective cross-sectional and longitudinal participant biospecimens with temporally coordinated evaluations of GI and neurological functions; elucidate biological processes relevant to the role of the GI tract in PD pathogenesis; characterize GI symptoms, pathology, and gut-brain communication in PD; identify possible novel gut-based biomarkers, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic targets; investigate the impact of neuroimmune interactions in the GI tract on gut-brain communication and PD risk.

Eligibility Requirements
Higher Education Institutions, Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education, Private Institutions of Higher Education, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education, Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education), Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education), For-Profit Organizations (including Small Businesses), Local Governments, State Governments, County Governments, City or Township Governments, Special District Governments, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized), Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized), U.S. Territory or Possession.

Period of Performance
The period of performance is 5 years.

Grant Value
Application budgets are limited to $300,000 in direct costs in FY 2024, and to $450,000 in direct costs per year in FYs 2025-2029. NIDDK intends to fund up to 5 awards in FY2024.