News releases received by email from the NIH
* FIGHTING THE WHITE PLAGUE * "MANAGING DIVERSITY IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM" * FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER ESTABLISHES SHELDON M. WOLFF, M.D. FELLOWSHIP ON INTERNATIONAL HEALTH * MORE RIGOROUS STUDIES NEEDED TO ADVANCE EMERGING DENTAL CARIES DIAGNOSTIC AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, SAYS NIH CONSENSUS PANEL * MOUSE MODEL OF FOOD ALLERGIES REVEALS CAUSE OF INFLAMMATION * OLD DRUG MAY OFFER NEW HOPE TO VICTIMS OF CHILDHOOD NEURO- DEGENERATIVE DISEASE * SCIENTISTS FIND NEW TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE INVOLVED IN BREAST, PROSTATE AND OTHER CANCERS * SCIENTISTS REPAIR DAMAGE FROM HEART ATTACK USING ADULT BONE MARROW STEM CELLS IN MICE * APRIL 5 MARKS NATIONAL ALCOHOL SCREENING DAY 1200 SITES TO SCREEN ABOUT 50,000 PERSONS * FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER ANNOUNCES INITIAL AWARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ON HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT * INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES RELEASED ON CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE (COPD) * President's budget proposal for FY 2002 * SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH - WORLD HEALTH DAY 2001 * DR. MARC R. BLACKMAN NAMED CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR NCCAM * SCIENTISTS SEQUENCE GENOME OF STREP THROAT, SCARLET FEVER BACTERIUM * NIDA AND PARTNERS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL INITIATIVE ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AND ABUSE * BEST LEADS FOR PROSTATE CANCER PREVENTION APPEAR IN APRIL "UROLOGY" SUPPLEMENT; AGENTS, BIOMARKER ENDPOINTS, COHORTS, AND TRIAL DESIGNS OUTLINED * NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE HOSTS FIFTH INTERNATIONAL AIDS MALIGNANCY CONFERENCE WITH A SPECIAL VIROLOGY COMPONENT * POTENTIAL MEDICATION CAN REDUCE EFFECTS OF SMOKED MARIJUANA IN HUMANS * NEUROIMAGING IDENTIFIES BRAIN REGIONS POSSIBLY INVOLVED IN ALCOHOL CRAVING
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Saturday, March 24, 2001
Contact:
Laurie K. Doepel
(301) 402-1663
FIGHTING THE WHITE PLAGUE
ANN M. GINSBERG, M.D., PH.D., CHRISTINE F. SIZEMORE, PH.D.,
AND ANTHONY S. FAUCI, M.D.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
The World Health Organization estimates that 1,500 people die each hour from an infectious disease. More than a third of these deaths are due to a deadly triad of three diseases: the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. We are reminded of these grim facts today, World TB Day 2001, as the public health community focuses on one of the "big three" infectious killers.
It was on this date in 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", the bacterium that causes TB, or the "white plague" as it was then known because of the markedly pale appearance of TB sufferers. Dr. Koch's discovery was the first step toward developing tools to control the disease. Today, we acknowledge his accomplishments and those of innumerable other researchers, physicians and public health workers who have battled TB. At the same time, we renew our collective resolve to defeat a scourge that remains one of the greatest threats to human health.
Although we have effective drugs to cure most cases of TB, the disease is still ravaging much of the world, especially Africa and Southeast Asia. Other regions, particularly Eastern Europe, are suffering numerous TB outbreaks. Worldwide, TB deaths are increasing for the first time in almost 40 years. TB now kills 2 million people per year -- even more if one includes the almost 20 percent of HIV- infected individuals who die with active TB. One-third of the world's population is infected with "M. tuberculosis", and one in ten of these people will develop active TB at some point during their lives. Perhaps most worrisome, new strains of "M. tuberculosis" resistant to standard anti-TB drugs are spreading throughout the world, making a cure far more costly and often impossible.
There are diverse and compelling reasons to aggressively address this epidemic. The huge toll in suffering and death, particularly in developing nations, demands action on humanitarian grounds alone. Furthermore, TB, as well as AIDS and malaria, threaten the economic development and political stability of many of the world's most vulnerable nations, some of which are of strategic interest to the United States. Apart from the enormous global impact of the TB epidemic, the disease also has important implications domestically. According to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 16,372 reported cases of TB in the United States in 2000; an additional 10 to 15 million people in this country are infected with "M. tuberculosis" and may develop active TB at some point in their lives. Multi-drug-resistant TB has been reported in 43 states and the District of Columbia since 1988. The Institute of Medicine's recent report, "Ending Neglect: The Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States" cautions against complacency regarding TB, reminding readers of the increase in U.S. TB cases that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s, costing New York City alone more than $1 billion over a five-year period to control. We are at a critical juncture, the IOM report argues, and should commit to eliminating TB as a public health problem.
This is an achievable goal, both in the United States and, ultimately, worldwide. We are fortunate to be in an era of unprecedented scientific opportunity. Of particular note, the recently available sequence of the entire human genome will allow unique insights into the body's ability to respond to pathogenic microbes such as "M. tuberculosis". In addition, the availability of the genomic sequence of "M. tuberculosis" will provide access to new targets for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines as well as important information concerning the genetic basis of resistance of the microbe to anti-TB drugs.
The development of a safe and highly effective TB vaccine is a critical research focus, as currently available TB vaccines have limited efficacy. The National Institutes of Health together with other agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services have developed a blueprint for TB vaccine development, and a number of promising TB vaccine concepts are in various stages of development. These research efforts should be sustained and accelerated. Concurrently, anti-TB drugs must be made available -- and properly administered -- to people with TB in all nations, and new antibiotics developed to cure tuberculosis and prevent transmission of drug-resistant TB.
Ultimately, better control and even elimination of TB worldwide will require a marriage of modern scientific advances, classical public health measures and the strong commitment of the international community. History will judge us harshly if we do not capitalize on unprecedented opportunities and act aggressively to rid the world forever of this ancient killer. Let us use World TB Day as a reminder of this critical responsibility.
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., is Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health. Ann M. Ginsberg, M.D., Ph.D., is Chief of the Respiratory Diseases Branch at NIAID, where Christine F. Sizemore, Ph.D., is Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program Officer.
For more information on NIAID's tuberculosis research activities, please visit NIAID's World TB Day 2001 home page at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/tbday01/
Press releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Office of the Director (OD)
NIH NEWS ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Contact:
Marc Stern
(301) 496-2535
"MANAGING DIVERSITY IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM"
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
9:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
Natcher Conference Center, Main Auditorium
There will be a presentation by TREVOR WILSON, internationally renowned diversity strategist, consultant, and author of the acclaimed books Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity and Global Diversity at Work. He will speak on Diversity in the New Millennium. Mr. Wilson will lead an afternoon workshop on measuring the impact of diversity for IC Diversity Catalysts, EEO Officers, the NIH Diversity Council, and Chairs of the Special Emphasis Employee Groups.
RUTH L. KIRSCHSTEIN, M.D., Acting Director of NIH will give the opening remarks and present the 2001 Champions of Diversity Awards. The winners were selected for outstanding contributions in the areas of diversity management, bringing about organizational change and engendering respect for diversity at the NIH. In addition, Dr. Kirschstein will sign the NIH Policy Statement on Diversity Management.
Sign Language Interpreters will be provided.
For reasonable accommodation needs and other questions,
please contact Carlton Coleman, OEO, on (301) 496-2906.
TTY callers may reach this number through the Maryland
Relay Service at 1-800-735-2258 (V/TTY).
Milton Belardo, Esq.
Diversity Program Manager
2 Center Drive Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20892-0001
Tel/ 301.496.5089
Fax/ 301.402.0994
Email/ belardom@od.nih.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
John E. Fogarty International Center
For Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Contact:
Jennifer Cabe or Irene Edwards
(301) 496-2075
FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER ESTABLISHES SHELDON M. WOLFF, M.D. FELLOWSHIP ON INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. -- The new Sheldon M. Wolff, M.D. Fellowship on International Health provides opportunities for American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows in the Science, Engineering, and Diplomacy Program to work at the Fogarty International Center (FIC) on program, policy, and planning initiatives. FIC initiated the fellowship in honor of the late Sheldon M. Wolff, M.D., a world leader in infectious disease research. In addition to his enormous contributions toward the understanding of fever, its causes, effects on the host, and role in infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders, Wolff was also a strong advocate of international collaborations as a means to advance key research areas and improve human health. Throughout his career at NIH and later at Tufts University School of Medicine and New England Medical Center Hospital, Wolff trained many scientists from the United States and the developing world who went on to establish productive research careers. He also possessed enormous insight into the broad impact of infectious disease on societies, including the economic burdens, and was among the first to recognize the great toll HIV/AIDS would take on humanity.
Wolff began his distinguished career in 1960 in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He subsequently became NIAID's clinical director, a post he held until 1977 when he left NIH to become professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief at the New England Medical Center Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
"Shelly Wolff was an inspiring leader who strongly believed in nurturing the careers of others and in the role science can play in improving global health," said FIC Director Gerald T. Keusch, M.D. "Since these are the goals of the FIC at Dr. Wolff's beloved NIH, we are thrilled to name this fellowship in his honor."
Describing the new international health fellowship as a fitting part of her late husband's scientific legacy, Mrs. Lila Wolff said, "There is a quote by Mark Twain that I think describes perfectly how people remember Shelly: 'Praise is well, compliment is well, but affection -- that is the last and most precious reward that any man can win, whether by character or achievement.' I know that anyone who had the opportunity to work with Shelly feels that affection because of his great achievements, and most particularly because of his character." She added, "Shelly displayed so much integrity in his work, and he had the courage to follow through in difficult times. He influenced science in many countries."
Rachel Nugent, Ph.D. is the first recipient of the Sheldon M. Wolff, M.D. Fellowship on International Health. An international economist by training, Nugent served most recently at the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, where she developed analyses of global environmental policies. Prior to that, Nugent was a professor of economics at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington state. At FIC, she is working on economic issues related to health and environmental policy. She also serves as the Program Director for FIC's new grant program, International Studies on Health and Economic Development (ISHED), which is co-sponsored by FIC and the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, and the World Bank's Global Development Network. More information about the ISHED is available at http://www.nih.gov/fic
Information about AAAS Fellowships is available at http://www.aaas.org
FIC is the international component of the NIH. FIC promotes and supports scientific discovery internationally to reduce disparities in global health. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fact sheets, press releases, and other FIC-related materials are available at: http://www.nih.gov/fic
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Office of the Director (OD)
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Contacts:
John Bowersox, NIH/OMAR
(301) 496-4819
Jody Dove, NIDCR
(301) 594-7558
MORE RIGOROUS STUDIES NEEDED TO ADVANCE EMERGING DENTAL CARIES DIAGNOSTIC AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, SAYS NIH CONSENSUS PANEL
The development of new diagnostic techniques to detect early stages of dental caries (tooth decay) may give dentists more options than ever before to stop or reverse decay using noninvasive techniques. This and other findings emerged from a Consensus Development Conference on the Diagnosis and Management of Dental Caries Throughout Life, convened by the National Institutes of Health on March 26-28, 2001 in Bethesda, MD.
The conference examined the current state of dental caries research to help health care providers and the general public make informed decisions about this important health issue.
Panel members reviewed an extensive collection of literature related to dental caries, including a systematic review of the dental research literature provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The panel also heard presentations by experts in the field, as well as public comment.
While water fluoridation, the use of fluoride products, dietary modification including sugar restriction, improved oral hygiene, and regular professional care have led to dramatic reductions in dental caries over the past 30 years, the disease remains a major public health problem. Nearly 20 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 4 have experienced dental caries, and by the age of 17 almost 80 percent of young people have had at least one cavity-- a late manifestation of dental caries infection. More than two-thirds of adults between the ages of 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth due to dental caries, and one- fourth of those aged 65 to 74 have lost all of their natural teeth.
Early phases of tooth decay are currently difficult to detect. While radiographs, or x-rays, can disclose established cavities, particularly those that occur between the teeth, they are not effective in detecting early decay, or caries in the roots of teeth. The panel noted that the ongoing development of more sensitive diagnostic techniques to detect dental caries in its earliest phases will pave the way for the use of noninvasive treatment options to stop or reverse the caries process. Current data support the following treatment options: fluorides, dental sealants; combinations of chlorhexidine, fluoride, and sealants; and health education.
Despite their optimism about the future of dental practice, the panel was disappointed in the overall quality of the clinical data that it reviewed. According to the panel, far too many studies were small, poorly described, or otherwise methodologically flawed.
"This is not to say that the diagnostic, preventive, and restorative techniques currently used do not work," said the panel, "but rather that earlier studies to support their efficacy do not meet current scientific standards." Indeed, given the dramatic improvements in reducing dental caries prevalence in the past 30 years, both consumers and health professionals should not depart from the practices which are likely to have contributed to this oral health improvement."
Although the panel did not evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of community water fluoridation, they acknowledged that water fluoridation and the use of fluoridated toothpastes are highly successful in preventing dental caries. They also determined that there is evidence to support the use of fluoride varnishes in permanent teeth, as well as fluoride gels, chlorhexidine gels, sealants, and chewing gum containing xylitol, a sugar substitute. Combined interventions may be more effective in preventing caries in children.
The panel also noted that effective dentistry requires early identification of children at high risk for extensive caries so that they may receive early and intense preventive intervention. Children at low risk also need to be identified to reduce unnecessary care and expenditures. According to the evidence presented, the most consistent predictor of caries risk in children is past caries experience. Low socioeconomic status (SES) is also associated with higher caries rates. While some risk factors may be applicable across all ages, others are distinctive for adult and elderly populations, such as the inability to maintain good oral hygiene, lack of adequate salivary flow, and gum recession.
The panel called for a major investment of research and training funds to "seize the opportunities presented." "When solid confirmation of the effectiveness of promising new diagnostic techniques, non-surgical treatments of non- cavitated lesions, and conservative surgical interventions for cavitated lesions are obtained, dental health professionals and the public should embrace them rapidly in anticipation of attaining still higher levels of oral health."
Panel chair Michael C. Alfano, D.M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the New York University College of Medicine, also noted, "that for the American people to benefit from these findings, insurance companies will need to change the way they compensate dental providers so that the next generation of conservative therapy can be enjoyed by everyone."
Among its recommendations, the panel called for:
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research sponsored the conference. Cosponsors included the National Institute on Aging and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The full NIH Consensus Statement on Diagnosis and Management of Dental Caries Throughout Life is available by calling 1-888-NIH-CONSENSUS (1-888-644-2667) or by visiting the NIH Consensus Development Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov (The panel's draft statement will be posted to the Web by the evening of March 28 or morning of March 29.)
The consensus statement is the report of an independent panel and is not a policy statement of the NIH or the Federal Government. The NIH Consensus Development Program was established in 1977 to resolve in an unbiased manner controversial topics in medicine. To date, NIH has conducted 115 such conferences addressing a wide range of controversial medical issues important to health care providers, patients, and the general public.
The AHRQ-supported evidence-based review, Diagnosis and Management of Dental Caries: A Summary," is available at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/dentsumm.htm Printed copies are available for free from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8547, Silver Spring, MD 20907 (tel: 800/358-9295) and by calling AHRQ InstantFAX (301) 504-2800 from a telephone-equipped facsimile machine.
An extensive bibliography of dental caries research papers, prepared by the National Library of Medicine, is available in the Web at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/dental_caries.html
NOTE TO TV EDITORS:
The news conference at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 will
be broadcast live via satellite on the following
coordinates: Telstar 6, Transponder 21; C-Band; Download
Frequency=4120 vertical; Polarity=93 Degrees West. (Test
time 12:30 - 1:00 p.m.)
NOTE TO RADIO EDITORS:
An audio report of the conference results will be available
after 4 p.m. March 28, 2001 from the NIH Radio News Service
by calling 1-800-MED-DIAL (1-800-633-3425).
The Office of the Director is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2001
5:00 p.m. EST
Contact: Sam Perdue
(301) 402-1663
sp189u@nih.gov
MOUSE MODEL OF FOOD ALLERGIES REVEALS CAUSE OF INFLAMMATION
In a study that might one day lead to new treatments for some food allergies and related diseases, a team of Cincinnati researchers has shown how certain immune cells attack the digestive tract of mice fed specially treated food. The study, which appears in the April edition of "Nature Immunology", identifies key players in food-induced inflammation of the digestive tract.
The research identifies the culprits as eosinophils, immune cells packed with powerful proteins that, when released, destroy surrounding tissues and help rally other immune cells to sites of infection. Eosinophils often appear in high numbers at sites of allergic inflammation, but researchers have not known if the cells caused the disease or were merely bystanders called to the scene.
"This study provides very clear evidence that, in this model, eosinophils play a critical role in disease," says Marshall Plaut, M.D., chief of the allergic mechanisms section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which funded the study. "Understanding how and why these cells attack the digestive organs is an important step toward understanding a number of human gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, including food allergy."
In most of us, our immune system ignores the foods we eat. If our defenses stop ignoring these foods, however, immune cells can rush to the digestive tract and launch an attack, leading to allergies. Marc Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D., of Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, directed a research team to discover why that happens. They developed a mouse model of eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, which lead to weight loss, enlarged or inflamed digestive tissues, and the inability of food to move properly through the digestive tract.
To produce a food allergy in mice, lead author Simon Hogan, Ph.D., and colleagues first injected the animals with small amounts of ovalbumin, a harmless protein found in eggs. The injections sensitized the mice to the protein, putting their immune systems on alert for future exposures. The researchers then fed the animals specially coated ovalbumin pellets, which were designed to survive the acidic environment of the stomach. When the food moved from the stomach into the small intestine it triggered an allergic reaction. "The response to the egg protein in mice resembled inflammatory food allergies in humans, providing us with a good system for understanding these diseases," says Dr. Rothenberg.
The animals became ill and lost weight as multiple regions of their digestive tracts became inflamed. Immune system proteins and cells rushed to the affected areas, and eosinophils accumulated in high numbers, particularly around damaged nerve cells. The walls of digestive organs swelled and food became stalled in the stomach; both of these findings are characteristic of human eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammation.
To see if eosinophils were in part responsible for the allergy symptoms, the researchers studied a protein called eotaxin, which plays a role in some respiratory allergies. Eotaxin is a type of chemical distress call that summons eosinophils when the body senses danger. The Rothenberg team discovered that, in the sensitized mice, ovalbumin caused some of the cells lining the digestive tract to release eotaxin and attract eosinophils to the site. When the researchers repeated the experiment in mice that lacked the eotaxin gene, eosinophils did not appear and the mice did not develop the severe symptoms seen in normal mice.
"This provides strong evidence that eosinophils are key players in food allergies," explains Dr. Rothenberg. "A food can trigger eotaxin, which attracts eosinophils to the site, which in turn attack healthy tissue and cause disease, perhaps by damaging the nerve cells that communicate with the digestive tract."
By identifying eosinophils as a major cause of digestive inflammation, Dr. Rothenberg hopes to find new options for treating the disease. He points out that several anti- eosinophil drugs are undergoing clinical trials for other diseases, and these might be effective agents to treat some food allergies. In addition, his mouse model of food- induced digestive illnesses should allow researchers to more thoroughly study related diseases and advance our knowledge of food sensitivities and allergies.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious and immune-mediated illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies.
Press releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov
Reference:
Hogan SP et al. A pathological function for eotaxin and
eosinophils in eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammation.
"Nature Immunology" 2:353-60 (2001).
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Friday, March 30, 2001
5:00 p.m. EST
Contact:
Robert Bock
(301) 496-5133
OLD DRUG MAY OFFER NEW HOPE TO VICTIMS OF CHILDHOOD NEURO- DEGENERATIVE DISEASE
A drug long used to treat a rare genetic disease also has the potential to treat a form of Batten disease, a fatal group of hereditary disorders that gradually robs its victims of their eyesight and mental abilities before claiming their lives.
The laboratory study, appearing in the April 1, 2001 "Nature Medicine", was conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities in Staten Island, New York. The researchers are now seeking patients with this form of Batten disease to test whether the drug phosphocysteamine will be an effective treatment for them.
"This is an extremely promising lead," said Duane Alexander, M.D. Director of the NICHD. "The NICHD team has shown in laboratory studies that phosphocysteamine breaks down the toxic compound responsible for a Batten disease variation which leaves its victims without higher brain function by the time they reach their fourth birthday."
Batten disease is a relatively common (one in 12,500 births worldwide) group of genetic disorders of the nervous system that begin in early childhood. These disorders result from the buildup of substances called lipopigments in the body. The NICHD researchers found that phosphocysteamine breaks the lipopigments apart, into the lipids (fats) and proteins that comprise them. The NICHD researchers concentrated their efforts on the form of Batten Disease known as infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL), which claims the lives of its victims much earlier than do the other forms of the disease. Estimates of INCL's frequency in the United States do not exist, but researchers believe it is uncommon.
Phosphocysteamine has been approved for use in patients by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Another team of NICHD scientists pioneered the drug as a treatment for cystinosis, a rare hereditary disorder that, if untreated, results in blindness, kidney failure, and death by about age nine. The authors of the current study noted that cystinosis patients have used phosphocysteamine safely for more than 20 years.
Also called Santavuori-Haltia disease, INCL strikes between six months and two years of age. Children who have the disorder lose their eyesight by age two, experience frequent seizures, and deteriorate mentally until their brain has no cortical activity at three to four years of age. They live in this vegetative state until about eight to twelve years of age, when they die.
INCL is caused by a defect in the gene that provides the information for palmitoyl-protein thioesterase (PPT), according to the study's senior author, Anil B. Mukherjee, head of the NICHD's Section on Developmental Genetics. As a result of normal chemical reactions in the cell, any number of different kinds of proteins bind chemically with lipid molecules. These protein and lipid molecules are then transported inside lysosomes-minute, balloon-like sacs within the cell.
Ordinarily, PPT breaks the bonds that hold the proteins and lipids together, which allows the newly separated molecules to be broken down and transported to other parts of the cell. Because children with INCL lack PPT, the protein-lipid complexes accumulate within their lysosomes. Eventually, the lysosomes grow so large they eventually kill the cell. Dr. Mukherjee and his coworkers tested laboratory cultures of cells taken from patients with INCL. The researchers found that phosphocysteamine reduced the amount of protein- lipid complexes within the lysosomes to minimal levels. Additional doses of the drug prevented the complexes from reaching toxic levels.
Dr. Zhongjian Zhang, the first author of the study, said, "We're extremely excited by the possibility that this drug might improve the lives of patients." This study was supported by a "bench-to-bedside" award from the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a clinical trial has been approved for patients with the most severe form of INCL. The first patient for the study has been enrolled and is now receiving phosphocysteamine. The researchers will not know for some time whether the drug is effective in patients.
The NICHD is part of the NIH, the biomedical research arm of the federal government. The Institute sponsors research on development before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. NICHD publications, as well as information about the Institute, are available from the NICHD website, http://www.nichd.nih.gov or from the NICHD Clearinghouse, 1-800-370-2943; E-mail NICHDClearinghouse@mail.nih.gov
A fact sheet on Batten Disease is available from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/batten.htm
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Human Genome Research Institute
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Friday, March 30, 2001
5:00 p.m. EST
Contact:
Geoff Spencer
301-402-0911
SCIENTISTS FIND NEW TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE INVOLVED IN BREAST, PROSTATE AND OTHER CANCERS
BETHESDA, MD. -- Scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas have found a novel tumor suppressor gene on human chromosome 7 that appears to be involved in a wide range of cancers. Tumor suppressor genes play a key role in the regulation of cell growth. Scientists have known for about 15 years that when a tumor suppressor gene is inactivated, the cells it affects grow out of control and become cancerous.
"Inactivating a tumor suppressor gene is like disabling the brakes on a car," says the study's corresponding author, Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Genome Technology Branch in the NHGRI Division of Intramural Research. "Without the function of such a gene, a tumor keeps growing out of control. And just like a car without brakes, the consequences can be fatal."
In the new study, published in the April issue of "Nature Genetics", the researchers reported finding the new gene, which they named ST7, short for Suppression of Tumorigenicity 7, on chromosome 7. Studies show that the gene is widely expressed in normal tissues throughout the body and that the gene is often disrupted by mutation or deletion in tumors arising from epithelial cells, such as cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and ovary.
Scientists know of at least 30 tumor suppressor genes and a search of gene databases suggests that there may be another 100 or more. So finding a new one alone is not surprising. But the discovery of ST7 demonstrates a new paradigm in molecular genetics research now that the first draft sequence of the entire human genome is available. In the past, the discovery of a new tumor suppressor gene would require a major effort involving many scientists, often in several laboratories, working for several years. ST7 was discovered by a single post-doctoral scientist using the new tools provided by the Human Genome Project.
"This finding is an excellent example of how individual researchers, aided by the availability of the near-complete sequence of the human genome, can make major advances in our knowledge of the genetic basis of disease in a matter of a few years or less," says NHGRI Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
The finding also shows how the information in the human genome sequence enables scientists in different fields to make research contributions far beyond their own specialty, says NHGRI scientific director Jeffrey M. Trent, Ph.D. "Dr. Green's laboratory has been heavily involved in mapping and sequencing human chromosome 7 for the Human Genome Project," he says. "In the last four years, Green's lab directly participated in the identification of genes involved in deafness, vascular disease, and now cancer."
The current research began in 1993 with the doctoral studies of lead author Jean Claude Zenklusen, Ph.D. While working in the lab of co-author Dr. Claudio Conti at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Department of Carcinogenesis, Zenklusen generated a large body of evidence that the long arm of chromosome 7 harbored a tumor suppressor gene. After moving to NHGRI in 1996, Zenklusen began using the genetic maps and DNA sequence of chromosome 7 that were provided by the Human Genome Project. Using a technique called positional cloning, Zenklusen narrowed down his search to a few genes. He then pain-stakingly studied each gene for mutations in cancer cells and found defects in ST7 in several instances. The study included several functional analyses, such as one in which Zenklusen inserted a normal copy of the gene into tumor cells with defective ST7. The genetic treatment eliminated the cancer cells' ability to produce tumors in mice.
The researchers still don't know exactly what the gene does. "ST7 has no relatives or structural similarities to any other known gene," Zenklusen says. But the scientists have shown that the gene has been highly conserved over evolution, since it is widely found in lower organisms. That generally means the gene plays an important function in the body.
Preliminary evidence suggests that ST7 may be involved in regulating the growth of blood vessels into a tumor, a process called angiogenesis. "If ST7 is involved in regulating angiogenesis, it may prove to be a target for developing drugs that would interfere with that process," Zenklusen says. "Without an adequate blood supply, a tumor withers away and dies. So theoretically, if you could prevent angiogenesis, you might be able to come up with a way to kill the tumor without harming the patient."
Zenklusen, Conti and Green, are co-authors of the paper, "Mutational and functional analyses reveal that ST7 is a highly conserved tumor suppressor gene on human chromosome 7q31," which appears in the April issue of the journal "Nature Genetics" (Vol. 27, No. 4).
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Human Genome Research Institute
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Friday, March 30, 2001
5:00 p.m. EST
Contact:
Geoff Spencer
301-402-0911
Embargoed: "Nature" has changed the embargo to 5 p.m. Eastern, Friday, March 30, 2001, so journalists can include this information with a report on similar research in NATURE Medicine.
For additional information, contact:
NHGRI: Geoff Spencer, 301-402-0911
New York Medical College: Marjorie Roberts, 914-594-4536
NHLBI Communications office, 301-496-4236
SCIENTISTS REPAIR DAMAGE FROM HEART ATTACK USING ADULT BONE MARROW STEM CELLS IN MICE
BETHESDA, MD -- Surprising new research shows it is possible to rebuild heart-attack-damaged hearts with adult stem cells from bone marrow. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, demonstrated for the first time that adult stem cells isolated from mouse bone marrow could become functioning heart muscle cells when injected into a damaged mouse heart. More important for future clinical application in humans, the new cells at least partially restore the heart's ability to pump blood.
The research team, led by Donald Orlic, Ph.D., a staff scientist in the genetics and molecular biology branch of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and Piero Anversa, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at New York Medical College, reported their results in the April 4, 2001, issue of "Nature".
"This study offers hope that we might one day be able to actually reverse the damage caused by a heart attack," says NHGRI Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. "The apparent ability of stem cells in the bone marrow of adult animals to rebuild the heart reveals nature's remarkably flexible response to disease."
"Our results indicate the great potential of adult stem cells to differentiate into other cell types and repair a damaged organ, a property commonly attributed to embryonic stem cells," Anversa says. "This may allow us to utilize a patient's own stem cells as a new therapeutic option."
Typically, stem cells can be found in various tissues, such as muscle and skin, where they continuously replenish lost cells. Bone marrow stem cells usually produce blood elements, such as red and white blood cells. A growing body of research, however, suggests that stem cells -- both embryonic and adult -- retain the ability to differentiate into a wider array of body tissues that may be used as a cellular therapy to treat disease.
Heart attacks provide an important target for this treatment because they are a leading cause of death. About 1.1 million Americans will suffer a heart attack this year; some 450,000 will die. A heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries that carry blood to the heart muscles become blocked. The interruption in the blood supply suffocates the heart muscle cells below the blockage, substantially reducing the heart's ability to pump blood. Typically, if more than 40 percent of the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber of the heart) is damaged, the patient ultimately dies.
In their search for a way to reverse the damage, the team began by isolating bone marrow stem cells from male mice. The isolated stem cells carried a newly inserted gene that produces green fluorescent protein, a marker that enabled the researchers to identify the transplanted cells. In addition, the researchers decided to transplant stem cells from male mice into female hearts so they could show definitively that any new heart muscle had come from donor cells.
The researchers then gave the female mice a heart attack by tying a suture around a coronary artery commonly blocked in human disease. A short time later, they injected the labeled stem cells into the heart muscle next to the damaged tissue. Remarkably, over the next seven to 11 days, the stem cells began to multiply and transform themselves into heart muscle cells and migrated into the damaged area. After an average of nine days, the newly formed heart muscle cells occupied 68 percent of the damaged portion of the heart. In addition, the stem cells also began producing smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells that organized themselves into new blood vessels.
"Initially, I thought if there was a little regeneration, some heart muscle cells forming, then that would be considered successful," NHGRI's Orlic says. "Instead, our expectations were far exceeded in terms of seeing not just heart muscle cells, but blood vessels and functional measurements showing that the repair actually improved cardiac output. It was a wonderful surprise and went far beyond our expectations."
Still, the treatment only worked in 12 of 30 mice, about 40 percent. That may be due to the difficulty of injecting the stem cells into a heart that beats on the average of 600 times per minute. New research is already underway to resolve these questions.
New York Medical College's Anversa predicts that if follow- up studies go well, clinical trials in human patients could begin in three years. "The restoration in the heart's ability to pump blood could well be clinically significant," he says.
In addition to Orlic and Anversa, co-authors of the study include: Stacie M. Anderson and David M. Bodine of NHGRI; Jan Kajstura, Stefano Chimenti, Igor Jakoniuk, Baosheng Li, Bernardo Nadal-Ginard, Annarosa Leri of New York Medical College and James Pickel and Ronald McKay of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH.
In addition to the support from the NHGRI, this work was also funded by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Aging.
For additional information, including a graphic showing the procedure and high-resolution images of the regenerating cells, go to http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/NEWS/news.html
Attachment: http://www.nih.gov/news/images/033001mouse.gif
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
NIH NEWS ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
8:00 a.m. EST
Contact:
NIAAA (301) 443-0595
CSAT (301) 443-5052
CSAP (301) 443-0383
SMH (781) 239-0071
APRIL 5 MARKS NATIONAL ALCOHOL SCREENING DAY
1200 SITES TO SCREEN ABOUT 50,000 PERSONS
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2001/niaaa-04.htm
Health care professionals at more than 1200 sites stand ready to educate the public about signs and symptoms of alcohol problems during the third annual National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) on Thursday, April 5, 2001.
Individuals concerned about their drinking or that of another may access free, confidential screening and research-based alcohol information at college and community health and counseling centers, hospitals, and clinics across the country. The health care professionals will discuss the clinical disorders alcohol abuse and alcoholism, as well as high-risk drinking, and help NASD participants to recognize indications of such problems.
Each site also will offer a brief, anonymous, self-administered screening test, consultation with a health professional, and referral to local resources for those in need of formal evaluation and possible treatment.
"National Alcohol Screening Day gives individuals the opportunity to explore whether alcohol is a problem and puts them in direct contact with resources that offer solutions," said Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "For at least one day each year, NASD also encourages our entire society to face alcohol problems head on."
NASD is a program of the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, Inc., in partnership with the NIAAA and two components of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).
"This activity offers a great opportunity for people to assess their level of alcohol consumption and determine if they have a problem," said CSAT Director H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D. "NASD provides an excellent example of the way that CSAT regularly 'partners' with local communities to disseminate information about substance use."
"In our ongoing prevention efforts, National Alcohol Screening Day is a wonderful springboard to provide information and to educate people about alcohol problems," said CSAP Director Ruth Sanchez-Way, Ph.D.
Persons who wish to participate may call 1-800-405-9200 to determine a nearby site. The toll-free site locator line is operational 24 hours a day.
Sponsors of the 2001 event are:
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Council on Alcoholism
American Medical Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association and its
College of Professional Psychology
American Society of Addiction Medicine
College Parents of America
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Higher Education Center for Alcohol & Other
Drug Prevention (funded by the U.S. Depart. of Education)
Join Together
McLean Hospital
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems
National Center for Farmworker Health
National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
National Interfraternity Conference
National Mental Health Association
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
National Panhellenic Conference
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
For an interview with Dr. Gordis, please contact 301-443-0595; for information about alcohol research, please contact 301-443-3860 or visit http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
For an interview with Dr. Clark, please contact 301-443-5052. For an interview with Dr. Sanchez-Way, please contact 301-443-0383. For information about alcohol treatment and prevention services, please visit http://www.samhsa.gov
For additional information about NASD or an interview with Screening for Mental Health Executive Director Douglas G. Jacobs, M.D., contact Screening for Mental Health (781-239-0071), visit http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org or email info@mentalhealthscreening.org
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
John E. Fogarty International Center
For Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
Contact:
Irene Edwards
(301) 496-2075
FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER ANNOUNCES INITIAL AWARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ON HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD -- The Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces its intention to fund 10 research grant awards under the new International Studies on Health and Economic Development (ISHED) Program. FIC spearheaded the development of the ISHED, working closely with four co- sponsors at the NIH: the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, in collaboration with The World Bank's Global Development Network (GDN). The combined commitment from FIC and the ISHED partners is approximately $2.2 million for the first year of these five-year awards. Total support for this program will be approximately $10 million over the next five years.
This innovative new program will support studies in an effort to understand the complex relationship between health and economic growth in low- and middle-income nations. Although it is widely accepted that better education can lead to improved economic performance, the relationship between better health and the alleviation of poverty has not been fully explored in low- and middle- income countries. The first grants awarded through the ISHED competition are designed to determine the extent to which population health status and mental health status serve as predictive indicators of economic performance using a wide range of research methodologies and testable hypotheses.
"The NIH has a major interest in ensuring that research contributes to improved health and well-being. The ISHED will significantly stimulate research activity in this area," said FIC Director Gerald T. Keusch, M.D." on behalf of the co-sponsoring agencies. "By bridging disciplinary interests and bringing together development and health economists with medical epidemiologists, behavioral scientists, demographers, and other health professionals, we expect to promote the exploration of new concepts, develop new methodologies, and analyze new experimental data." Noting in particular the partnership with the GDN, Keusch emphasized that "alliances between the NIH and other national and international agencies addressing global health are an essential strategy for creating the needed research environment and human capacity to address these complex issues. Partnerships such as the ones that underpin the ISHED are vital to advancing long-term global health goals." He added, "We anticipate a subsequent re- competition of the ISHED in FY 2003."
Five of the ISHED awards are full five-year grants, and five are at a reduced level for two years and are intended to support further development of the research approach and methods for potential future funding.
The following researchers are intended recipients of ISHED awards:
The following researchers are intended recipients of two- year ISHED awards to further develop their proposals for research in Africa and Latin America:
FIC is the international component of the NIH. FIC promotes and supports scientific discovery internationally to reduce disparities in global health. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fact sheets, press releases, and other FIC-related materials are available at http://www.nih.gov/fic
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
Contact:
NHLBI Communications Office
(301) 496-4236
INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES RELEASED ON CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE (COPD)
Fourth Leading Cause of Death in US and WORLDWIDE
The first international guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) -- currently the fourth leading cause of death in the US and worldwide -- were released today by an international team of scientists from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). The "GOLD Workshop Report", which provides evidence-based recommendations for the clinical management of COPD, is the first step in an international effort to boost awareness of COPD and improve the way it is treated. GOLD was created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization.
According to NHLBI Director Dr. Claude Lenfant, "COPD has become a major public health problem worldwide. That's why we, with the WHO, initiated this program. We hope that this report will increase worldwide awareness of COPD and help the millions of people who suffer from this disease."
COPD, a term used to describe chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a slowly progressive airways disease characterized by a gradual loss of lung function. In the US, it is caused primarily by cigarette smoking. There is no known cure, but smoking cessation can slow disease progression.
COPD has been on the increase in the US, and in 1996, an estimated 16 million Americans had COPD. The number of deaths attributed to COPD has also increased substantially in the past 40 years to approximately 100,000 men and women per year in the US alone. The highest rate of increase in deaths has been seen in white women.
It is expected that by 2020, COPD will rank as the third leading cause of death, surpassing stroke. The annual cost of COPD to the US economy is estimated at nearly $30.4 billion.
The GOLD Report, which was reviewed extensively by medical societies in more than 100 countries throughout both the developed and developing world, emphasizes the need for clinicians and patients to recognize cough and sputum production as early signs of possible COPD and calls for the use of spirometry, a simple test of lung function, to confirm the diagnosis. It also provides a general scheme for classifying COPD by severity to help clinicians determine how best to manage the condition. Practical recommendations for reducing risk factors and for managing both stable COPD and exacerbations are also provided.
Said Lenfant, "A concerted effort by government officials, health care workers, biomedical researchers, industry, and patients throughout the world is required to improve the way COPD is diagnosed and managed and to increase research into improved treatments and ultimately a cure. This effort has begun with the launch of the GOLD Initiative today."
For further information, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at 301-496-4236.
Copies of the GOLD Workshop Report and other information on COPD are available on the NHLBI Web Site at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 6, 2001
Contact:
HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson will present the President's
budget proposal for FY 2002 at the Eastern Boys and Girls Club.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2001/hhs-06.htm
CREDENTIALED PRESS ONLY.
WHERE:
Eastern Branch, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington
261 17th St., S.E.
17th and Massachusetts Ave., S.E.)
WHEN:
Noon, Monday, April 9
CONTACT:
HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
** Copies of the HHS budget summary will also be available at noon in the Great Hall of the Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Ave. S.W.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
John E. Fogarty International Center
For Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 6, 2001
Contact:
Jennifer Cabe or
Irene Edwards
(301) 496-2075
SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH - WORLD HEALTH DAY 2001
Gerald T. Keusch, M.D.
Fogarty International Center
National Institutes of Health
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2001/fic-06.htm
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD - At the opening of the 21st century, when the new genomics and biomedical research promise so much for this country, two-thirds of the world's population in the poor and middle-income countries bear a disproportionate burden of illness and premature death. Indeed, their health needs have never been as formidable; hence the search for solutions has become an imperative. Lewis Thomas, in his book "The Fragile Species," said, "We have an obligation to assure something more like fairness and equity in human health. We do not have a choice, unless we plan to give up being human." Today, on World Health Day 2001, we urge renewed commitment to ensuring that the benefits of good health, including mental health, are available to all people everywhere, not just to those who live in countries that enjoy the vast advantages of prosperity.
Scientific research and research capacity building, which are critical to supporting viable and effective public health systems in developing countries, are often overlooked in the haste to address immediate needs. Yet, strong public health systems depend on a vibrant, sustained research underpinning to ensure that interventions are not only developed but also evaluated and fine-tuned to meet local needs. America plays an essential role in such research and capacity building for the development of important new drugs, diagnostics, vaccines, and intervention strategies for poor countries. These studies often contribute to the scientific foundation for medical advances and treatment here as well. For example, research on the use of oral rehydration for cholera in Bangladesh has led to its adoption in the developing world and as the preferred treatment for dehydrating diarrheal disease in the United States. More recently, collaborations with U.S.-trained Ugandans on a landmark study demonstrated the efficacy of a single dose of the relatively inexpensive drug nevirapine in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and this regimen is now useful for HIV-positive women presenting at birth without prior antiretroviral therapy.
This year's World Health Day theme is Mental Health: Stop Exclusion - Dare to Care. This is especially appropriate since over the next two decades, an increasing proportion of ill health in the developing world, by some estimates more than 60 percent of the world's burden of disease, will be from chronic, non-communicable causes. Our considerable investment in research and capacity building in emerging infectious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria is not matched by a similar effort to build research infrastructure, expertise, and new knowledge that will enable people in the developing world to address their growing burden of mental illness. Shortages of trained mental health care workers at all levels, and use of inappropriate therapies as well as lack of access to effective treatment, lead to the neglect of social and mental health crises such as depression, psychosis, suicide, substance abuse, violence, breakdown of the family, disintegration of communities, and the stigmatization of the afflicted - further isolating those who need help the most.
Working with other U.S. agencies, the World Health Organization, lending institutions, and non-governmental groups, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to advancing research and training to address mental illness. The Fogarty International Center, the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), and other partners at NIH are using all available means to develop much-needed interventions in this field. The role of stigma in preventing people with mental illness from seeking diagnosis and treatment, or from participating in research to identify beneficial interventions, is a particular area of focus, and one that will be considered at a NIH-sponsored international conference on stigma as it pertains to global health this coming September.
World Health Day 2001 provides us with an excellent opportunity to remember that the pursuit of health through international scientific cooperation is an inherently global enterprise. Individuals and nations share an inherited and acquired sense of social altruism - an understanding of our common fate and a shared set of social obligations. Working together, the world can be healthier, happier, more productive and more stable. NIH will play its role and advocate for improved world mental health.
Gerald T. Keusch, M.D., is NIH Associate Director for International Research and Director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC), the international component of the NIH.
FIC promotes and supports scientific discovery internationally to reduce disparities in global health. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fact sheets, press releases, and other FIC-related materials are available at: http://www.nih.gov/fic
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
http://nccam.nih.gov
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 9, 2001
Press Contact:
Anita Greene, NCCAM
(301) 496-1712
DR. MARC R. BLACKMAN NAMED CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR NCCAM
Bethesda, Md. -- Marc R. Blackman, M.D. has been appointed the first clinical director of the new Division of Intramural Research of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Establishment of the new Division allows NCCAM to develop a research program within the NIH Clinical Center -- the world's largest medical facility dedicated solely to patient-oriented research. As Clinical Director, Dr. Blackman will oversee the activities of clinical scientists he will recruit to conduct exacting studies of the safety and efficacy of widely used complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices, as well as studies of their underlying mechanisms of action. "The rich intellectual and scientific resources of the NIH provide an ideal environment for the kinds of multidisciplinary collaborations that best suit many CAM investigations," Dr. Blackman commented.
Following a nationwide search, Dr. Blackman was identified as the ideal candidate to direct NCCAM's new clinical research program. "He brings to this position a rigorous scientific background, an exceptional record in the design and conduct of clinical research programs, and the proven ability to lead and inspire young scientists," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. "Dr. Blackman's appointment comes at a crucial time when the public's interest in, and use of CAM therapies has burgeoned -- creating a major public health opportunity for NCCAM to provide the American people with reliable information about the efficacy and safety of these practices," Dr. Straus concluded.
A native of Boston, Dr. Blackman received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in 1968 from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He received his medical degree in 1972 from the New York University School of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He trained in internal medicine at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and then undertook clinical and research fellowship training in endocrinology and metabolism at the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology and metabolism, Dr. Blackman is currently Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he is also program director of the NIH-funded General Clinical Research Center.
Dr. Blackman is an authority on and the recipient of numerous research grants to investigate age-related alterations in various neuroendocrine and other hormonal systems, both in health and disease. Given the prominent roles assigned to various CAM approaches in sustaining health and treating age-related degenerative illnesses, Dr. Blackman brings vital insights to the design and implementation of NCCAM's new clinical research enterprise.
In addition to his vast clinical and research knowledge, Dr. Blackman is a recipient of many academic awards and honors, including several for outstanding teaching. Widely sought as a lecturer and participant in research conferences, Dr. Blackman has published over 250 original articles, book chapters and abstracts and serves frequently as a reviewer for scholarly journals.
Dr. Blackman will officially assume his new responsibilities for NCCAM on April 16, 2001
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices in the context of rigorous science; training CAM researchers and disseminating authoritative information. For additional information, including fact sheets, press releases, and other information about NCCAM, please visit our website at http://nccam.nih.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Monday, April 9, 2001
5:00 p.m. EST
Contact:
Jeff Minerd
(301) 402-1663
jminerd@niaid.nih.gov
SCIENTISTS SEQUENCE GENOME OF STREP THROAT, SCARLET FEVER BACTERIUM
Scientists have completed sequencing the genome of "Streptococcus pyogenes", a bacterium that causes a wide variety of human diseases. The "rap sheet" on this organism, also known as group A streptococci or GAS, stretches long: GAS infection can lead to strep throat, scarlet fever, the skin infection impetigo, pneumonia, acute kidney inflammation, toxic shock syndrome, blood "poisoning," acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease, and the flesh-eating disease known as necrotizing fasciitis.
"This exceptionally virulent organism is difficult to study because it infects only humans and very few animal models of group A strep diseases exist," says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). "We need to know more about how group A strep interact with humans to cause so many different illnesses. The genetic sequence should shed light on these questions and pave the way for better treatment and prevention."
"Infection with this bacterium occurs worldwide, and acute rheumatic fever is the major cause of heart disease in children of developing countries," says Fran Rubin, Ph.D., a respiratory diseases program officer at NIAID. "This is one reason why sequencing this organism is so critical." Several million cases of strep throat and impetigo occur each year in the United States. In addition, in 1999 GAS infection led to 9,400 more serious illnesses such as toxic shock syndrome or necrotizing fasciitis in the United States. These invasive diseases occur when GAS get into parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood and muscles.
The sequencing project, supported by NIAID, was carried out by researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Their findings appear in the April 10 issue of the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".
The single, circular chromosome containing the bacterium's genetic material is more than 1.8 million DNA base pairs long, reports Joseph J. Ferretti, Ph.D., a molecular biologist at the University of Oklahoma and head of the genome sequencing team. The particular strain of S. pyogenes that Dr. Ferretti and his colleagues examined, designated SF370, was isolated from the infected wound of a patient and can cause invasive diseases such as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotizing fasciitis. Preliminary analysis of its estimated 1,752 genes includes the following observations:
The sequence information should aid efforts to develop vaccines against GAS, notes Dr. Rubin. NIAID-supported research has led to the development of several GAS vaccine candidates in various stages of testing. "We expect the sequence will reveal new antigens, possibly proteins on the bacterium's surface, that would also be good vaccine candidates."
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious and immune-mediated illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies.
Press releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
References:
J Ferretti et al. Complete genome sequence of an M1 strain
of streptococcus pyogenes. "Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences". 98 (8): 4658-63 (2001).
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute on Drug Abuse
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
10:00 a.m. EST
Contact:
Beverly Jackson
Michelle Muth
Blair Gately
301-443-6245
NIDA AND PARTNERS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL INITIATIVE ON
PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AND ABUSE
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2001/nida-10.htm
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and several national organizations today announced a public health initiative to raise awareness about recent trends in the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs in the United States. The initiative seeks to inform the public, physicians, pharmacists, and others about the misuse and abuse of medications and promote additional research on the subject.
"While prescription drugs can relieve a variety of medical problems and improve the lives of millions of Americans, they can be dangerous, addicting - and even deadly - when used non-medically, " said NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner. "An estimated four million people aged 12 or over used sedatives, stimulants, tranquilizers or opioids for non-medical reasons in 1999."
Joining with NIDA are AARP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Pharmaceutical Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Community Pharmacists Association, the National Council on Patient Information and Education, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
At a news conference in Washington, DC, Dr. Leshner said, "The reports of increasing misuse of prescription drugs in some segments of the population - older adults, adolescents, and women - are particularly worrisome because of their numbers and because those numbers appear to be increasing rapidly."
Research suggests that more than 17 percent of adults over 60 may be affected by prescription drug abuse. New prescription drug abuse has dramatically increased among young people between 12-25 years old and in a 1999 survey, 12-14 year olds named psychotherapeutics, such as painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants, as some of their more frequently used drugs. Overall, men and women use prescription drugs non-medically in equal numbers. However, some studies indicate that women may be more likely to misuse narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs, in part because women are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and, as a result, to be treated with psychotherapeutic drugs. Among 12-17 year olds, young women are more likely than young men to use psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically.
Dr. Leshner says doctors, pharmacists, and patients can all play a role in preventing misuse of medications. Doctors should ensure that patients understand how to use prescribed medications and should also be alert to signs of patient drug abuse. Pharmacists can help by clearly instructing people on how to take medication and explaining side effects and potential drug interactions. They can also check for false or forged prescriptions. Patients should make sure they know how to use their medication, and should always talk to their doctor or pharmacist before increasing, decreasing, or stopping any medication.
"Attention must now be paid to the long neglected area of prescription drug abuse," said Joseph H. Autry III, M.D., acting administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "There is no typical abuser. Medical personnel must use every opportunity to screen and educate all of their patients."
As part of this effort, NIDA and its partners are releasing a research report that highlights the health consequences of prescription drug misuse and abuse.
In addition to the research report, NIDA is distributing 400,000 postcards with messages about the dangers of prescription drugs. The cards are available in restaurants, book stores, clubs, record stores, coffee shops, gyms, and other stores in several major cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Miami, and Mesa, Arizona, the largest retirement community in the United States. The cards are also being given out at college campus locations nationwide.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish through NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Cancer Institute
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 9, 2001
Contact:
NCI Press Office
(301) 496-6641
NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS:
BEST LEADS FOR PROSTATE CANCER PREVENTION APPEAR IN APRIL
"UROLOGY" SUPPLEMENT; AGENTS, BIOMARKER ENDPOINTS, COHORTS,
AND TRIAL DESIGNS OUTLINED
The most promising agents to prevent prostate cancer and the most likely biological markers of risk for the disease are just two of the key areas of prostate cancer prevention research highlighted in the supplement to the April issue of the journal "Urology", "New Clinical Trial Strategies for Prostate Cancer Prevention." Capturing the recent advances in the converging fields of cancer chemoprevention and preventive urologic oncology, the science published in this journal aims to stimulate and guide research in this crucial area.
The supplement originated in a workshop conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in August 1999, and the information was updated as the publication went to press. The papers in the supplement contain the latest information on:
"Cancer is not a single event, but the result of a long process," said Peter Greenwald, M.D., Dr. P.H., director of NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention. "We are working to identify the points in the process of prostate cancer development where we can jump in and stop it. We need to find agents -- vitamins, minerals, or drugs -- that will stop the cancer process. And we need to find markers that both let us know someone is at risk for cancer and let us know that the agents that person is taking are, in fact, reducing that risk."
NCI has two large-scale trials under way for prostate cancer prevention: the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, started in 1993, is testing the drug finasteride vs. a placebo in 18,000 men. Results are expected in 2003. SELECT, the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial is gearing up to open this summer, and will look at selenium, vitamin E, and both supplements together vs. a placebo in 32,400 men.
Such large-scale trials are rare and are undertaken only when evidence is clear that they are the only way to answer a crucial research question. NCI is also conducting smaller trials with a variety of agents, including a vitamin D analog; eflornithine (a compound called DFMO); Flutamide and Casodex (both anti-androgens); soy isoflavones; lycopene (a plant pigment common in tomatoes); selenium; celecoxib (a COX-2 inhibitor); and combinations of agents.
The kinds of trials outlined in the supplement are key stepping stones to large, definitive trials. "Trials like the PCPT and SELECT will give us vital information about how to prevent prostate cancer, but more work is necessary," said Greenwald.
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men (next to nonmelanoma skin cancer) and the second leading cause of cancer death. Black men in the United States have the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world.
The entire supplement is available online beginning today (April 9, 2001) at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/urologyonline Choose "The Journal" button and look under "Previous Issues."
Reporters can also obtain a copy of the Executive Summary
from:
--NCI Press Office, (301) 496-6641
--Elsevier Publishing at (212) 462-1933.
For more information about cancer, visit NCI's Web site for patients, public, and the mass media at http://www.cancer.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Cancer Institute
NIH NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Contact:
NCI Press Office
(301) 496-6641
NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS:
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE HOSTS FIFTH INTERNATIONAL AIDS
MALIGNANCY CONFERENCE WITH A SPECIAL VIROLOGY COMPONENT
WHAT:
National and international experts will meet at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) on April 23-25, 2001,
to present new findings on the biology, epidemiology, and
treatment of AIDS-related cancers, including Kaposi's
sarcoma, lymphoma, and anal and cervical cancers.
Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this
annual meeting provides a state-of-the-art overview of
knowledge about these malignancies, which have emerged as
an epidemic within the larger AIDS epidemic.
This year's meeting includes a special virology component focusing on the viruses associated with AIDS-related cancers, including human herpesvirus 8, human papillomavirus, and Epstein-Barr virus. Presenters will discuss the latest information on mechanisms of viral oncogenesis and immune evasion, and on innovative approaches to treatment. Roundtables of experts will discuss the most recent data from a variety of pre-clinical animal models for AIDS cancers, advances in therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines for treatment and prevention of anogenital cancers, and ongoing and planned clinical trials from the AIDS Malignancy Consortium, a network of investigators across the United States conducting clinical trials for AIDS-related cancers. In addition, this meeting includes a new session focused on genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics.
WHEN:
Monday - Wednesday, April 23-25, 2001
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT
WHERE:
The meeting will take place at the Natcher Conference
Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. For a detailed
agenda, call the NCI Press Office at (301) 496-6641 or go
to
http://ctep.info.nih.gov
(click on AIDS Oncology Resources).
Parking on the NIH campus is extremely limited and all attendees are encouraged to use Metro.
The Natcher Center is conveniently located adjacent to the Medical Center station on Metro's Red Line.
WHO:
Featured Speakers: Sara Rowland-Jones, D.M., John Radcliffe Hospital, U.K. Ian Frazer, M.D., University of Queensland, Australia Lou Staudt, M.D., Ph.D., NCI Riccardo Dalla Favera, M.D., Columbia University Thomas Quinn, M.D., Johns Hopkins University/ NIAID Anthony Nash, Ph.D., University of Edinburgh, Scotland
National Institute on Drug Abuse
NIH NEWS RELEASE
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:
Thursday, April 12, 2001
4:00 p.m. EST
Contact:
Beverly Jackson
Blair Gately
301-443-6245
POTENTIAL MEDICATION CAN REDUCE EFFECTS OF SMOKED MARIJUANA IN HUMANS
Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) Intramural Research Program in Baltimore, MD, have confirmed for the first time in humans that chemically blocking the body's cannabinoid receptors can significantly reduce the effects of smoked marijuana. The study appears in the April 14th issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry".
Cannabinoid receptors -- proteins on the surface of brain cells -- are most dense in brain regions involved in thinking and memory, attention and control of movement. Their exact role in humans is not well understood, but animal studies have shown that cannabinoid receptor agonists -- compounds that activate the receptor sites -- impair learning and memory and increase appetite and food intake. Previous studies in animals have shown that the major effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, are due to its binding to specific cannabinoid receptors located on the surface of brain cells. These effects appear to be lessened when cannabinoid receptors are blocked by an antagonist.
"This research helps point the way toward possible treatment for those addicted to marijuana and perhaps may be useful in finding effective treatments for other disorders related to the cannabinoid system, " says NIDA director Dr. Alan I. Leshner.
In the study, Dr. Marilyn Huestis and her NIDA colleagues used a cannabinoid receptor antagonist -- a compound that binds to the receptor and blocks agonist compounds from activating it. The antagonist, SR141716, was discovered by Sanofi-Synthelabo of Paris, France, and was used in this study with NIDA under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
Participants in the study were given either SR141716 or a placebo and two hours later smoked one marijuana cigarette. Those who received SR141716 showed significantly reduced marijuana effects, while those who received the placebo showed typical marijuana intoxication.
The results of the study are an important step in understanding the complex role of the cannabinoid receptor system in the human brain.
"Our findings of a significant blockade of marijuana's effects after treatment with SR141716, which is highly selective for the CB1-cannabinoid receptor sites, demonstrates for the first time in humans that these receptors play a major role in mediating the effects of marijuana," Dr. Huestis says.
In their investigation of the role of the cannabinoid system in humans, Dr. Huestis and her colleagues gave increasing doses of SR141716 or placebo to 63 adult men with histories of marijuana use. When individuals received SR141716 before smoking marijuana, there was a dose- dependent reduction in psychological and physical effects of marijuana. At the highest dose of SR141716 (90 mg), volunteers reported a 43% reduction in how "high" they felt, a 38% reduction in how "stoned" they were, and a 43% reduction in "drug effect" as compared to those who received active marijuana and no antagonist. In addition, they had a 59% less increase in heart rate, one of the primary physical effects of marijuana.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish by calling NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644- 6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
NIH NEWS ADVISORY
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Thursday, April 12, 2001
4:00 p.m. EST
Contact: NIAAA Press
(301) 443-0595
NEUROIMAGING IDENTIFIES BRAIN REGIONS POSSIBLY INVOLVED IN ALCOHOL CRAVING
Viewing pictures of alcoholic beverages activates the prefrontal cortex and the anterior thalamus in alcoholics but not in moderate drinkers, report Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researchers in the April "Archives of General Psychiatry". The research team is the first to use fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine whether alcohol cues stimulate specific brain regions. "The activated brain regions are known to be associated with attention and regulating emotion and are prominent components of working models of alcohol craving," said National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Director Enoch Gordis, M.D. "Whether the activity in these areas accompanies craving or is in part responsible for it remains to be determined."
"The regions activated in this study should not yet be interpreted as correlates of craving per se," said lead author Mark S. George, M.D., of the Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology at MUSC. "Our next project uses fMRI scans to measure subjective craving in real time so that we can relate subjective craving temporally to the presentation of visual cues."
For the current study, the researchers recruited eight male and two female alcoholics and an equal number of moderate- drinking (no more than 14 drinks per week) controls matched according to age and gender. The alcoholics met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence, drank an average of seven drinks per drinking day, and drank on about 70 percent of days in the month before testing. They were not severe alcoholics or in treatment at the time of study.
All 20 subjects viewed pictures on a screen while lying on their backs in a 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner. For nine minutes, they were shown a series of photographs of alcoholic beverages followed by a series of nonalcoholic beverages (e.g., coffee, juice, soda) in random order. To heighten their responses to alcohol cues, the subjects were given a sip of an alcoholic beverage before viewing the images. The researchers compared mean group images of brain activity during the alcohol and nonalcohol pictures, exposing in the alcoholic group several brain areas with unique activity during the alcohol pictures.
"Our goals were to learn whether certain brain areas would be activated for the alcohol cues but not the neutral cues and whether brain areas in alcoholics would be activated differently than those of moderate drinkers," said Raymond F. Anton, M.D., a lead study author and Scientific Director of the NIAAA-funded MUSC Alcohol Research Center. "In fact, we saw clearly that certain brain regions in alcoholics activated in response to viewing pictures with alcohol- specific content. It appears that the alcoholics paid greater attention to the alcohol images."
"This work confirms a significant biological and brain component to alcoholism and provides information toward understanding the differences between alcoholics and nonalcoholics," said Dr. George.
Future studies may examine regional brain activity following the administration of naltrexone, a medication believed to reduce alcohol craving, say the authors. Imaging studies are expected eventually to predict risk for both uncontrolled drinking and relapse and to evaluate potential anticraving medications.
Although many alcoholics report craving, an intense desire or "drug hunger" for alcohol, researchers have not arrived at a common understanding of the phenomenon. Most agree that craving involves neuroadaptation--changes in brain cell function resulting from long-term alcohol consumption. Neuroadaptation produces an imbalance in brain activity and enhanced memories of alcohol reward that may increase drinking or, during periods of abstinence or reduced drinking, lead to relapse. Alcohol-related stimuli known as cues may trigger the neuroadapted brain to crave alcohol.
While animal experiments suggest that craving is associated with certain brain regions (neuroanatomy) and neurotransmitters (neurochemistry), such models are limited by the animals' inability to report how they feel. In humans, craving is experienced differently at different stages of alcohol addiction and differently among drinkers at any single stage, complicating attempts to measure it accurately. To improve both measurement and understanding of the craving phenomenon, researchers are looking to new technologies such as the fMRI technique used in today's study.
For interviews with Drs. George and Anton, please telephone Ellen Bank (843/792-2626). For interviews with Dr. Gordis, please telephone NIAAA Press (301/443-0595). For additional alcohol research information, please visit http://www.niaaa.nih.gov or telephone 301/443-3860.
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