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Naval Medical Research Center PDF

44 Pages·2002·8.2 MB·English
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Introduction NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER {NMRC) To enhance the health, safety, readiness and performance of Navy and Marine Corps personnel, the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and its affiliated laboratories conduct basic and applied biomedical research in infectious diseases: biological defense, combat casualty care, bone marrow, and diving and environmental medicine. NMRC and its overseas laboratories also support global surveillance, training, research and response to emerging infectious disease threats. Since its inception in 1942, the Naval Medical Research Institute has made many contributions to the field of military medicine, always with the focus of protecting and enhancing the health, safety, and efficiency of Navy and Marine Corps personnel. In 1998, the Naval Medical Research Institute was closed under the Base Realignment and Closure Law, and the Naval Medical Research Center was commissioned. NMRC provides leadership for the Navy's dental and biomedical research laboratory at Great Lakes, Illinois, and for the Navy's overseas laboratories in Peru, Indonesia and Egypt. In June 1999, along with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, NMRC moved to the new federal research laboratory facility, the Inouye Building, erected in the Forest Glen section of Silver Spring, Maryland. 1 NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER Lab Locations U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 (NAMRU-2) Jakarta, Indonesia U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3) Cairo, Egypt Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD) Peru, South America Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research (NIDBR) Great Lakes, Illinois 2 Message from the CO NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER As we move into the 21st century, we face not only the medical issues associated with conventional warfare, but the potential use of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism against our military forces and our citizens. The overwhelming superiority of our defense infrastructure, where billions of dollars are invested, is vulnerable to the threat to use inexpensive asymmetric weapons of mass destruction against us. Our research at NMRC is focused on finding solutions both to conventional medical problems on the battlefield such as bleeding, and to non-conventional weapons such as thermobaric blast, biological agents, or radiation. Research is being conducted in the fields of Infectious Diseases, Biological Warfare Defense, Dental Research and Combat Casualty Care. Our overseas laboratories play an instrumental role in the worldwide monitoring of new emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS, that threaten both deployed forces and the world. The threatened deliberate use of biological agents as weapons in the future may require infectious diseases to be classified as battlefield related, and will be extremely serious to the unprepared. As you will see in the following excerpts, our medical research efforts are aimed at providing solutions to future medical readiness for what lies ahead on the battlefield, at sea, and at home. Richard B. Oberst Captain, Medical Service Corps 3 Biological Defense Research Directorate NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER U.S. military medical researchers have focused on how to defend the threat of biological and chemical warfare since World War I. With recent conflicts and terrorist attacks, the threat of bioterrorism has quickly risen to the consciousness of the general public. For nearly 15 years, the Biological Defense Research Directorate (BDRD) at NMRC has researched ways to protect military personnel in the event of a biological attack. They have become a leader in the field in detection, including hand-held assays, molecular diagnostics, and confirmatory analysis. More recently, NMRC researchers have made great strides in developing a new DNA-based vaccine to protect against anthrax. 5 I NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER Biological Defense Research Directorate Identifying and Studying Bio-warfare Threats BDRD pioneered the development of small hand-held assays that identify most of the common biological threats, includ ing anthrax. The DoD, FBI and the Secret Service routinely use these assays, which identify the biological agent within 15 minutes. These assays were selected by the Joint Program Office for Biological Defense as the standard assay produced for the DoD. The first portable laboratory capable Scientists at NMRC also developed real of conducting molecular detection time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was developed by the BDRD in 1991. based diagnostics for confirmatory test This unique laboratory allows military ing. These confirmatory assays are based personnel in the field to quickly conduct on the DNA sequence of a particular confirmatory assays to see if biological biological agent. BDRD's anthrax assays agents are present. It was deployed in are the standard assays for the Centers Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and similar • for Disease Control and Prevention. The capabilities were deployed in Operation final step in the confirmation process, Iraqi Freedom. The portable lab currently definitive testing, can then be done at the weighs approximately 1,000 pounds, and NMRC laboratories in their Bio-Safety requires three people to run it. It can be Level 3 facility. checked onto commercial airlines, and re quires only gas and motor oil to operate. The portable laboratory holds supplies sufficient to process about 150 samples, with PCR and ELISA testing. It also in cludes protective gear for the personnel, These hand held assays provide rapid screening of a generator, a freezer, and field lighting environmental samples, and cai1 detect more tl1a11 and field UPS. 20 agents. 6 Biological Defense Research Directorate NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER In a related area of research, scientists are also working on the development of a more sensitive diagnostic field test to quickly see if humans have been exposed to biological agents. This would be especially helpful in combat situations where it is difficult to move a full field laboratory. The sooner an exposure is detected, the sooner treatment can begin. Identifying anthrax is difficult, especially in field conditions, where equipment and technologies are limited. Providing Operational Support The detection system includes a dry filter unit (DFU) that runs continuously, and Within 4 months prior to the 2003 Gulf is tested twice per day. Rapid detection War, BORD worked with the Chief of of any biological threat is especially Naval Operations to equip the Navy's important aboard ship, so that anyone fleet with full threat agent detection exposed can be evaluated and treated laboratories. First, they trained personnel immediately. BDRD also developed and on board to use the equipment, which in communicated emergency plans and cludes full confirmatory capabilities. Two processes for definitive testing of any ships were tested last summer to see if the potential biological threats. labs were effective before they equipped the rest of the fleet. The Afloat labora This is one recent example of how BDRD tories include microbiology capabilities, supports the Navy and Marine forces. Two of BDRD's portable laboratories were immunochemical assays, laminar· flow They also provide extensive training for deployed to Iraq in early 2003, available to hoods, and molecular diagnostics (PCR). forward forces, Naval Environmental detect biological agents in the.field. Preventive Medicine Units (NEPMU), Marine Chemical Biological Immediate Response Force (CBIRF) and shipboard laboratory technicians operating the RAPID DETECTION OF ANY BIOLOGICAL THREAT IS ESPECIALLY Afloat laboratories. IMPORTANT ABOARD SHIP, SO THAT ANYONE EXPOSED CAN BE EVALUATED AND TREATED IMMEDIATELY. 7 NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER Biological Defense Research Directorate In collaboration with Ohio State This program protects the health and University and Vical Inc., researchers welfare of the military population and identified key anthrax immunogens and helps ensure the success of military verified they can be delivered by formu operations. In addition, it advances lated DNA. They found by combining our knowledge of these agents and the two immunogens, Protective Antigen diseases they cause, thereby improving (PA) and Lethal Factor (LA), they may measures to protect public health. provide broader protection than the cur rently licenses anthrax vaccine or a single recombinant protein vaccine. A safety and immunogenicity study of this DNA vaccine in humans is expected to begi_!:_ in late 2003. DNA-based Vaccine Against Anthrax BORD researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at Ohio State University, have expanded their focus to encompass developing a new generation vaccine to improve immunization against anthrax. The new DNA-based vaccine may require only two shots and be effective against anthrax in just six weeks, thereby fully immunizing the patient in a fraction of the time. If successful, this would sim plify the vaccination process of military personnel, who are often moved during the 18 month span the current vaccine requires. DNA formulations may also offer advantages in handling and storage, which are important considerations for The current anthrax vaccine requires a series of six shots and 18 months for the patient to become fully stockpiling. immunized. 8

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