P30AR079369

Center for Mucosal Immunobiology and Rheumatic Disease Pathogenesis

A substantial cadre of investigators at the University of Colorado are focused on characterizing the molecular origins and causal mechanisms that drive the initiation and preclinical phases of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. One of the most important outcomes of those efforts has been the demonstration in populations at-risk for future disease that dysbiosis and chronic inflammation at mucosal sites can promote the initial local development of disease-specific loss of tolerance to autoantigens. Ultimately, this process leads to systemic autoimmunity and the development of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthroarthritis (SPA).

Building on that concept with unique at-risk populations and an extensive programmatic infrastructure, a P30 Rheumatic Disease Research Resource Center (RDRRC) entitled "Center for Mucosal Immunobiology and Rheumatic Disease Pathogenesis" is proposed. Included in the center are an Administrative Core, a Population and Data Sciences Core, and a Mucosal Immunobiology Core. This center is specifically designed to facilitate studies of human disease pathogenesis that incorporate the broad range of mucosal and systemic immunologic techniques, as well as develop new approaches to study these integrated mechanisms in already recruited cohorts of individuals throughout the preclinical and then clinically active phases of disease.

The center includes 43 internal and external members who have, in aggregate, $77M in related annual direct cost grant funding. In addition to providing access to stored biospecimens and data from ongoing population studies, the center will provide consultative and member discount mechanisms for all of the critical aspects of cohort development, epidemiologic assessment, data management, and data analyses. Additionally, the center will provide members access to technologies that focus on analyses of the microbiome and microbial-cell interactions, as well as informative mucosal and peripheral immune biomarkers.

The center will build on a recent $80M investment from the Dean to fund four other relevant programs with which this center will interact. Dr. Michael Holers, Professor of Medicine and Immunology, will serve as the center director, and Dr. Kristi Kuhn, Associate Professor of Medicine, will serve as the associate director. Both will interact with advisory and executive committees, and in the latter will be joined by core directors and co-directors with domain expertise.

As a key component of the mission of the center, a Pilot & Feasibility Grants Program will be developed with substantial institutional support. Additional enrichment program activities will include a seminar series, technology assessment series, and an annual symposium. A major focus will be on early career investigator development through enhanced core access as well as grants review and a scholars program. Social media, web-based outreach, and newsletters will provide comprehensive communication.

Finally, a Patient Impact Program will be utilized for the assessment and enhanced translation of novel biomarkers and therapeutically relevant RDRRC discoveries into direct patient care with the goal to improve outcomes.

The Regents Of The Univ. Of Colorado

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AND MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES (NIAMS) MISSION IS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSES, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION OF ARTHRITIS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES, TRAINING OF BASIC AND CLINICAL SCIENTISTS TO CARRY OUT THIS RESEARCH, AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON RESEARCH PROGRESS IN THESE DISEASES. THE EXTRAMURAL PROGRAM PROMOTES AND SUPPORTS BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND CLINICAL STUDIES OF SYSTEMIC RHEUMATIC AND AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, SKIN BIOLOGY AND DISEASES, BONE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES, MUSCLE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES, AND JOINT BIOLOGY AND DISEASES AND ORTHOPAEDICS. NIAMS SYSTEMIC RHEUMATIC AND AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES PROGRAMS ADDRESS BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING CLINICAL TRIALS AND OBSERVATIONAL AND MECHANISTIC STUDIES, FOCUSED ON IMMUNE-MEDIATED ARTHRITIS AND AUTOIMMUNE-RELATED ACUTE AND CHRONIC DISORDERS IN ADULTS AND CHILDREN. NIAMS SKIN BIOLOGY AND DISEASES PROGRAMS SUPPORT BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH IN SKIN, INCLUDING BOTH COMMON AND RARE SKIN DISEASES. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE BASIC MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY OF SKIN, AS WELL AS STUDIES OF SKIN AS AN IMMUNE, SENSORY, ENDOCRINE, AND METABOLIC ORGAN. NIAMS BONE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES PROGRAMS SUPPORT RESEARCH ON THE CONTROL OF BONE FORMATION, RESORPTION, AND MINERALIZATION AS WELL AS THE EFFECTS OF SIGNALING MOLECULES ON BONE CELLS. THEY SUPPORT CLINICAL STUDIES OF INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT FRACTURES ASSOCIATED WITH OSTEOPOROSIS AND RESEARCH INTO LESS COMMON BONE DISEASES. NIAMS MUSCLE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE RESEARCH ON MUSCLE DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, GROWTH, MAINTENANCE, AND HYPERTROPHY, PHYSIOLOGY OF CONTRACTION, STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY OF THE CONTRACTILE APPARATUS, DISEASE MECHANISMS, BIOMARKERS AND OUTCOME MEASURES, AND DEVELOPMENT AND CLINICAL TESTING OF THERAPIES FOR CONDITIONS INCLUDING THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHIES. NIAMS JOINT BIOLOGY, DISEASES, AND ORTHOPAEDICS PROGRAMS SUPPORT A BROAD SPECTRUM OF RESEARCH CENTERED ON THE INTERPLAY AMONG THE BODY'S MUSCLES, BONES, AND CONNECTIVE TISSUES. THEY ENCOURAGE TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, IMAGING, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH, AND THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF ORTHOPAEDIC CONDITIONS. NIAMS PARTICIPATES IN THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS. THE SBIR PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. THE STTR PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.846 - Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) [HHS - NIH]

Aurora, Colorado 800452536 United States

Single Zip Code

NIAMS Rheumatic Diseases Research Resource-based Centers (P30- Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-AR-21-002)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 374% from $777,500 to $3,683,122.