NC505: A Collaborative Initiative For Domestic Surveillance, Diagnosis, And Therapy Of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
(Rapid Response to Emerging Issue Activity)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NC505: A Collaborative Initiative For Domestic Surveillance, Diagnosis, And Therapy Of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Duration: 02/01/2004 to 09/30/2005
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies represent a family of emerging, potentially zoonotic diseases affecting US Agriculture and Wildlife management. While most of these disorders are species-specific, they have the potential to cause massive economic losses due to general concern over the potential consequences of a zoonotic spread. This was clearly demonstrated when Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was found to cause a novel disease in humans. Although at least one of these diseases (Scrapie) has been recognized for centuries, it has only recently been demonstrated that the infectious agent is a new, little understood variant of a normal cellular protein known as a prion. Although most of these prion diseases are species specific, the general nature of the disease pathogenesis appears to be highly conserved across species. While the United States has in the past had incidences of prion diseases affecting sheep, elk, deer, and mink, the zoonotic bovine form (BSE) was only recently identified within the domestic cattle herd. Due to the devastating effect of BSE on the European beef and cattle industries, a strong network of prion researchers currently exists within the European Community. Until recently most research in the United States was confined to specific aspects of TSEs as related to individual species, and for the most part was carried out by individual investigators focused on very defined problems. As such, individual research tends to focus solely on molecular, cellular, physiologic or epidemiologic problems, with limited crossover between these foci. It is the broad, long-term goal of this proposal to form a co-operative of basic and applied researchers focused on prion diseases of animals in order to rapidly and markedly expand collaboration and focus of US-based TSE research. It is the focus of this rapid response proposal to initiate that activity and provide immediate support in the form of new research towards understanding, controlling, and responding to prion diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.
Types of Activities
The primary activity to be undertaken will be to establish collaboration between existing research groups through exchange of information and access to research materials. Activities will focus on all unique aspects of prion disease, including epidemiology, cellular and molecular biology, pathogenesis, disease transmission and susceptibility. In addition, research into the efficacy of current diagnostics and utilization of basic research results to develop novel diagnostics will be a focus of the group. Finally, through sharing both basic research information and perhaps more importantly by pooling research resources, we expect to markedly expand research activity into these economically important diseases within the North American community.
Objectives
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To establish novel research collaborations between individuals participating in the Series 500 committee, as evidenced by collaborative research papers and grant proposals.
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To pool both research and reagent resources towards a greater efficiency in TSE-based research, including evaluation of novel diagnostics
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To define a list of research priorities on TSEs which can form a basis of future collaborations and federal grant proposals between individuals within the Series 500 committee
Expected Outputs, Outcomes and/or Impacts
The immediate outcome of this Series 500 committee will be to rapidly and efficiently raise the activity and collaboration level of US-based animal TSE research. The primary purpose of this Series 500 committee is to promote communication and collaboration between existing prion researchers in the United States. During the initial meeting, we expect to exchange information on ongoing research projects, and forge novel collaborative linkages that will take advantage of existing expertise and reagents. Furthermore, we will establish a tentative list of research goals and priorities that will form the basis of further work. During the second year, progress on these established priorities will be assessed, and the goals re-evaluated based on progress achieved during the previous year. It is expected that collaborative grant proposals will be the result of the second year of the Series 500 committee, once solid collaborative linkages have been forged. In the longer term, it is expected that the Series 500 committee will form the backbone of a research and technological development Center of TSE Research, funded through collaborative federal grants and contracts. This Center of collaborative researchers will form the basis of future development of TSE-based diagnostics and therapeutic strategies.