Research Updates in Kidney and Urologic Health

New DKUHD Programs for 2001

Through its Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (DKUHD), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) provides leadership for a national research program in kidney and urologic diseases. Each year, DKUHD works with NIDDK's Advisory Council—representing a broad range of non-Federal scientific, educational, and medical institutions—to plan and develop a set of program initiatives designed to yield fundamental, innovative, and valuable contributions to human health. The following list of DKUHD initiatives for 2001 demonstrates the division's commitment to maintaining the phenomenal progress of recent years in understanding the biological processes that result in kidney and urologic diseases. The initiatives also demonstrate a continuing commitment to clinical research and epidemiology.

Mouse Models of Diabetic Complications Consortium

Several well-characterized mouse models of diabetes have been used mainly to study the mechanisms for the development of diabetes and its metabolic complications. By contrast, the pathogenesis of end-organ damage has received less attention. NIDDK has issued a request for applications (RFA) seeking organizations and institutions to participate in a cross-disciplinary consortium that will develop and study mouse models that closely mimic diabetes complications in humans. NIDDK plans to fund five or six new mouse engineering and phenotyping units and one coordinating and bioinformatics unit. Complications to be examined include diabetic kidney disease, retinopathy, neuropathy, micro- and macrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, impaired wound healing, diabetic cardiomyopathy, coagulation abnormalities, urinary tract infection, oral diseases, and altered gastrointestinal and bladder function. Investigators at eligible domestic institutions should send a letter of intent by February 28, 2001. Applications are due on March 28, 2001.

To view the full RFA for this program, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-01-009.html on the Internet.

For more information or clarification, contact

Robert Star, M.D.
Extramural Senior Scientific Advisor
NIDDK Building 31, Room 9A35
31 Center Drive, MSC 2560
Bethesda, MD 20892–2560
Phone: 301–594–7715
Fax: 301–496–2830
Email: Robert_Star@nih.gov

Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network

Surgery is one of the most common therapeutic interventions for urinary incontinence, but long-term outcomes have not been systematically evaluated. DKUHD and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) are supporting a collaborative network of investigators to implement a multicenter, prospective cohort study designed to assess the long-term outcomes of the surgical interventions most commonly used to correct urinary incontinence in adult women. The collaborative network, known as the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network, will include Continence Treatment Centers and a Biostatistical Coordinating Center. Investigators from the cooperating institutions will develop standardized diagnostic and outcome measures that can be applied uniformly to all the different surgical cohorts to be evaluated by this initiative. The standardizing steps include the establishment of diagnostic entry criteria, the identification of clinically and patient-relevant outcomes, and the development of questionnaires to measure quality of life and other patient-reported factors. Evaluation will take place over a 3- to 4-year period. For more information about this program, contact

John W. Kusek, Ph.D.
Program Director, Clinical Trials
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 617, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458
Phone: 301–594–7717
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: kusekj@ep.niddk.nih.gov

or

Leroy M. Nyberg, Ph.D., M.D.
Director, Urology Program
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 627, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458
Phone: 301–594–7717
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: nybergl@ep.niddk.nih.gov

Prospective Cohort Study of Chronic Renal Insufficiency

The U.S. Renal Data System, established by NIDDK in 1988, has provided a wealth of epidemiological information about patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This information has led to significant improvements in the treatment and quality of life of patients with ESRD. The epidemiology of chronic renal disease during the period of reduced renal function or chronic renal insufficiency before ESRD has received far less attention. NIDDK has issued an RFA for investigators to establish Clinical Centers to conduct a 7-year prospective cohort study of patients with mildly to moderately reduced levels of renal function. The RFA also seeks a Data Coordinating Center to help the Clinical Centers carry out this study. The two primary goals of the cohort study are to determine the risk factors for accelerated decline in renal function and to determine the incidence and identify the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Because of the relative and increasing importance of diabetes as a cause of ESRD, about one-half of the participants in the cohort study will have diabetes. NIDDK plans to make six awards for Clinical Centers and one award for a Data Coordinating Center. Investigators at eligible domestic institutions should send a letter of intent by February 28, 2001. Applications are due on March 28, 2001.

To view the full RFA for this program, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-01-005.html on the Internet. For more information or clarification, contact

John W. Kusek, Ph.D.
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 617, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458 (for express or courier service, use 20817)
Phone: 301–594–7717
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: kusekj@ep.niddk.nih.gov

or

Paul L. Kimmel, M.D.
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 607, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458 (for express or courier service, use 20817)
Phone: 301–594–7717
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: kimmelp@extra.niddk.nih.gov

Role of Hormones and Growth Factors in Prostate Cancer

NIDDK is one of four Institutes in the National Institutes of Health that are cooperating on an RFA to study the role of hormones and growth factors in prostate cancer. This initiative is designed to explore the underlying mechanisms of action of hormones and growth factors in regulating prostate development, growth, and tumorigenesis. Focus areas will include fundamental studies of hormone and growth factor action, patterns of gene expression, environmental factors affecting hormonal and growth factor action, and the development of hormone or growth factor analogs, agonists, or antagonists that may be used to modify prostate growth. Investigators at eligible domestic institutions should send a letter of intent by February 27, 2001.

To view the full RFA for this program, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-01-008.html on the Internet. For more information or clarification, contact

Monica Liebert, Ph.D.
Director, Basic Science Programs in Urology
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 623, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458
Phone: 301–594–1409
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: liebertm@extra.niddk.nih.gov

Innovative Use of Nonmammalian Model Organisms To Study Membrane Transport

NIDDK and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) have issued a request for applications for support to study membrane transport in nonmammalian model organisms. Membrane transport abnormalities are associated with many human diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, renal tubular acidosis, congestive heart failure associated with hypokalemia, and several intestinal disorders, all of which contribute to a major health care burden for the U.S. population.

Many of these membrane transport processes are well conserved in lower organisms where the genomes are known, genetically tractable, and easily manipulated at the cellular and molecular levels. Unicellular organisms such as bacteria and yeast have been used as overexpression systems to provide wild-type or mutated proteins for structure and function studies. Similarly, nonmammalian model organisms such as the roundworm and fruit fly are more complex yet highly manipulatable systems in which to understand the underlying mechanism, regulation, and protein structure of many membrane transport processes. However, to fully exploit these model systems, new experimental technologies need to be developed, or existing technologies need to be further refined.

This initiative will provide grants to use nonmammalian models to develop reagents, methodologies, and novel approaches to the study of membrane transport, especially those processes involved in the diseases of interest to NIDDK and NIGMS. NIDDK is especially interested in new highly differentiated cell lines (such as tubule cells), mutant organisms, electrophysiological or imaging methods to study transporter physiology and regulation in vivo; structure-function studies of purified homologous proteins or proteins in model membrane systems; identification of human homologues to proteins studied in model organisms; and novel genes and proteins involved in membrane transport of ions and nutrients. Investigators at eligible domestic institutions should send a letter of intent by February 22, 2001. Applications are due on March 22, 2001.

To view the full RFA for this program, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-01-012.html on the Internet. For more information or clarification, contact

M. James Scherbenske, Ph.D.
Program Director, Renal Physiology/Cell Biology and Kidney Centers
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
NIDDK
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 613, MSC 5458
Bethesda, MD 20892–5458
Phone: 301–594–7717
Fax: 301–480–3510
Email: scherbensk@ep.niddk.nih.gov

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