Research Updates in Kidney and Urologic Health

Recent Meetings

Depression and Mental Disorders in Patients With Diabetes, Renal Disease, and Obesity/Eating Disorders

Major depression and mental disorders are more common in patients with chronic diseases than in the general population. In January 2001, scientists met to assess the physiologic pathways linking depression and mental disorders with chronic diseases, specifically diabetes, renal disease, and obesity or eating disorders. Participants examined how treating depression affects the onset or progression of chronic disease and developed recommendations for future research. The workshop was cosponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research.

Genomics and Proteomics for Kidney and Urologic Diseases

The availability of the complete sequence of the human genome is changing the face of science. An explosion of new methods and technologies has transformed the scientific discovery process. To train investigators in these new techniques, NIDDK sponsored a July 2001 workshop with expert lectures on the use of microarrays, chips, serial array of gene expression (SAGE), phage display, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectroscopy, and other genomic and proteomic tools. Topics also included intellectual property issues, study design, and data quality, and breakout sessions examined hands-on demonstrations of bioinformatic software tools. The American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Transplantation, and the American Urological Association cosponsored the workshop.

ORWH Seminar: Incontinence in Women

The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) sponsored a March 1 seminar on incontinence in women—its etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and surgical and behavioral treatments.

Bladder Research Progress
Review Group

The Bladder Research Progress Review Group (Bladder PRG) met in July to evaluate the bladder research portfolios of NIDDK and NIH, identify research opportunities, and define unmet needs in bladder research. Representatives of professional and patient organizations and experts in specific bladder diseases and from a broad range of research disciplines attended to help develop a report that will serve as a blueprint to redefine bladder research and to target specific topics for expansion.

[Top]