"The Cause for a Cure for Crohn's Disease"
Governments
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U.S.A. |
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U.K. |
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Canada |
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Netherlands | |
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U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
NIH:- National Institutes of Health
Overview
| Governed by | Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) |
| Mission Statement | The National Institutes of
Health is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its
mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and
behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend
healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. |
| Director | Elias Adam Zerhouni, M.D |
| Web Page | http://www.nih.gov |
| Overview | The goals of the agency
are as follows:
1) foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nation's capacity to protect and improve health; 2) develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nation's capability to prevent disease; 3) expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research; and 4) exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science There are two Institutes of NIH that would be involved in research into MAP and Crohn's disease:
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| Paper Trail | See PARA's Paper Trail for communications between
PARA and various agencies of the U.S. Government.
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Before proceeding further, we would encourage you to read the Important Developments Page prior to reading the rest of this webpage. This will give you some background on significant developments that have taken place around the world.
Summary of NIAID/NIH actions
In the summer of 1998, PARA began a series of pleas to the NIH/NIAID, to investigate the relationship between Crohn's disease and the bacterium known as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the NIH took the decisive lead in this matter and moved swiftly forward with the initiative to thoroughly research PARA's concerns. In October 1998, the NIAID stated to PARA its intent to host a formal workshop to further explore these concerns. On December 14, 1998, the NIAID hosted a groundbreaking workshop bringing together top researchers from all over the United States and the world to discuss a potential infectious etiology of Crohn's disease and to devise new research approaches to address this critical concern.
Subsequent to the NIAID workshop, the NIAID diligently continued its efforts relative to this matter, and recently the NIAID/NIH took very significant action to address PARA's concerns. Specifically, in June of 1999, the NIAID published its "Research Recommendations" as part of its workshop report entitled, "Crohn's Disease - Is there a microbial etiology? Recommendations for a research agenda."
The significance and importance of the NIAID actions cannot be overstated. Perhaps Dr. Patrick J. Brennan, who chaired the NIAID Workshop, best summed up the actions of the NIAID in his statement:
"The highly satisfactory outcome of the NIH Workshop "Crohn's Disease - Is there a microbial etiology? Recommendations for a research agenda" demonstrates the power of patient advocacy and excellent government response. The scientific meeting itself was unique in the assemblage of people afflicted with Crohn's disease, their loved ones, the best of the scientific community conducting research on the various aspects of Crohn's disease and the affiliated Johne's disease, and the best minds at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH. All shared their personal and scientific experiences and the outcome was excellent, resulting in a document that has as its underpinning the human affliction and stresses the need to define the potential infectious etiology, characterize the host immune and inflammatory responses and conduct crucial epidemiological and familial genetic research. On behalf of the scientific research community, I would like to thank PARA for raising our consciousness of Crohn's disease and its consequences, and the NIAID, notably Dr. Dennis Lang, for the production of an historic document that will set the research agenda into this disease for years to come."
Additionally, in mid 2002, NIAID and NIDDK funded significant rsearch into MAP/Crohn's. These are the studies recently funded based upon the RFA resulting from NIAID's December 1998 Workshop on an infectious cause of Crohn's disease:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Research:
- Julia Inamine, R01 A151283-01, "Molecular definition of Mycobacterium
Paratuberculosis," Colorado State University, $313,753
- Saleh Naser, R01 A151251-01, "Mycobacterium avium subspecies in Crohn's
Disease," University of Central Florida, $317,800
- Andrew Neish, R01 A151282-01A, "Epithelial responses to enteric
organisms," Emory University, $362,840
- Norman Pace, R01 A151298-01, "Molecular analysis of microbes in chronic bowel diseases," University of Colorado, $335,250
- David Relman, R01 A151259-01, "Crohn's disease - microflora analysis and
immune response," Stanford University, $319,000
National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Research:
- Fouad El-Zaatari, RO1 DK063092, "The role of Mycobacteria in Crohn's
disease," Baylor College of Medicine, $225,750
The NIAID is extremely well placed to execute this research, being the force responsible for the creation of many of the groundbreaking molecular techniques in use in infectious disease research around the world today. The NIAID has the knowledge and the expertise, as well as the access to the technology and the experience necessary, to deliver on its research agenda and funded research.
PARA commends NIAID and NIDDK for funding critical research into the MAP/Crohn's connection.
Paratuberculosis Awareness & Research Association, 1999-2003.
