The NIH catalyst : a publication for NIH intramural scientists

20 Pages·1993·2.5 MB·English

by  National Institutes of Health (U.S.). Office of the Director

Fostering Communication and Collaboration
nihCatalyst
The
A Publication for N I H Intramur-ai. Scientists
National Institutes of Health Office of the Director b Volume 14 Issue 4 July-August 2006
,
OBSSR 10thAnniversary
Interview withDavidAbrams
Behavioral Research Seen as Key Piece
Behavioral Science:
In the Gene-Environment Puzzle
The Evidence Is In
byFranPollner bDyFranPollner
D
avid Abrams founded the uring his two years as
Transdisciplinary Center for OBSSR director at the
Behavioral and Preventive beginning of the 21st
Medicine at Brown University in centuiy, RaynardKingtonmade
Providence, R.I., and was its director theroundsofinstitute andcen-
forthelast 17ofhis25yearsatBrown, ter program directors to gauge
aswell asprofessorofpsychiatryand their behavioral research inter-
human behavior and of community ests.
The idea that there could be
health.
Hewas a con- any interest was dismissed en-
tinuouslyfunded tirely by one director, Kington
NIH grantee recalled in his introductory re-
from 1982 until marks at the two-day OBSSR
he left Brown in lOth-anniversary symposium.
2005 to become “This individual responded by
telling me, ‘but you must un-
othfethtehiNrdIHdiOrfefcitcoer derstand, the students in my
of Behavioral program are the very brightest
aesennaAcdrebcrShRaoehcmsaiessaa’lrfcohScrc.ueis--edonDtahveiidnAtebrraFracatnmiPsoollnnser spditloeurandaitelnsnttcahshan.to’doesIvseeopnccritaoahrcleeeebersrsdcieigihedntnebctseeothsaertvxeu---- O2n0Bwo0Shw0oS,NRlIcehDHdaitdtrtheeiepcnuotgtfofywriicdsteihrfEemrhceiotsromris,tuiitcasc:seisNntschooeerrp,cmtriRAooannwyddinenaarrs1ssd9oe9nKm5ib(nrluginetgtdhoitnla),t,
ofriskfactorsofchronicdiseases, ad- search!” Natcherto markthe 10th anniversaryofOBSSR
dictions, and stress and has covered Nowadays,Kingtonobserved,
the bases from bench to bedside to most people are more cognizant of the missions.
public health and policy. The NIH fact that it is behavioral science that will They targeted the behavioral compo-
CatalystinterviewedAbramstheweek provide the missing links between gene- nents of disease mechanisms, environ-
after the OBSSR’s lOth-anniversary environmental interactions. mental contributors to disease, motiva-
symposium, June 21-22. No less than 50 percent ofthe growing tions for and against adhering to pre-
burden of chronic disease is related to scribed regimens, how best to impart
Q: How do you define basic re- behavioral and social factors, NIH Direc- health information, ferreting out the rea-
search in the behavioral and so- tor Elias Zerhouni noted, advocating a sonsforhealthdisparities, andmanyother
cialsciences? shift fromthe “curative model ofhealth,” issues. For some, like NIDA and NHLBI,
ABRAMS: The same asyou would in afterthe fact ofillness, to one that recog- continuedonpage5
any other science: the study ofbasic nizes that “chronic diseases do not occur
mechanisms without necessarily a on the day the patient visits the doctor CONTENTS 6-9
defined endpoint or disease in mind. but decades before.” Postbac Posters:
Enixsammspliensmowtoiuvladtiboencroeglantietdivteombeechhaav-- A Place at EveryTable A1BenhaNvIiHo-rwaildeReNsiecahrech C1o0n-f1r4onting Disease
ior change and fundamental mecha- Today, noted OBSSR Director David InterestGroup
snoicsimaslatthtaittuedexsplaanidnbtelhieeffsotrhmaattairoenthoef Atebrrsa“mhsa,seaacnhicohfe”thefo2r7beinhsatviituotreaslaannddcesno-- ODanviGdooAbdrBaemhsa:vior 1D5irectory
basis ofstigma, stereotyping, anddis- cial science research. PigmentCell Portrait
crimination. Indeed, theICswereoutinforce atthe FromtheDDIR:
theI tshtiundkyothfebreeh’savaiomrisapnedrcseocpiteitoynmtuhsatt tpowsot-edrasyomfetehteiirngf,unfidlelidngbethheavhiaolrlawlasycsiweintche GEtuhiidcianlgPrPraicntciicpelses, 1Re6c-e1n9tlyTenured
by definition be applied research. research and brochures and other hand- 20
continuedonpage4 outs on their BSSR programs and issues LettertotheEditor/ Kids'Catalyst:
ofparticularrelevance to theirrespective PioneerAwards Finding MagneticNorth
—
The NIH Catalyst
^
from the Deputy Director for Intramural Research
Guiding Principles and Ethical Practices
O
nJune 14, 2006, 1testifiedbeforetheHouseSub- A committee ofscientists andadministrators hasbeen
committee on Oversight and Investigations of assembledtoclarifyrulesgoverningtransferofmaterials
theCommitteeonEnergyandCommerceregard- from the NIH. Currently, some kind of transfer docu-
ingNIHrulesandregulationsgoverningconflictofinter- mentisrequired(forexample,asimpleletteragreement,
est, transfer of materials to private industry, and over- a materials transfer agreement, a letter ofcollaboration,
sightofsamplesobtainedfromhumansubjects.Thistes- or a CRADA) for all such transfers, but it is clear that
timonywas occasionedbya congressional investigation more preciseadvice isneededaboutwhichdocumentis
oftheactivitiesofoneNIHscientist, buttheissuesraised necessary for which transfer. For example, we will re-
and lessons learned have value for all NIH staff. quirethattransferofhumansamplesbe underthedirect
After pointing out the many complex regulations that supervision of senior leadership in an institute. Every
ourscientific staffmust internalizetopreventfuture epi- effort will be made to make the process as straightfor-
sodes of the kind under congressional scrutiny, I ob- ward as possible. Furtherguidancewill be forthcoming.
servedthatNIHcouldfacilitatethisprocessinthreeways:
MichaelGottesman By communicating clearly justwhatthe laws, rules, WhereTo Go forAdministrative Help
and regulations are and providing appropriate continu- NIH currently provides administrative support to NIH
ing education on the issues and requirements scientists to help them navigate the complex rules that
B By providingexpertadministrativestafftohelpNIH govern many different activities.
employeesnavigatethroughregulatorylanguagethatmay B Ifyou have a question about a potential conflict of
containsubtle distinctions relatedtoexceptions, exemp- interest, see your deputy ethics counselor:
tions, waivers, and recusals that might be neededfor us <http://ethics.od.nih.gov/decs.htm>.
to carry out our work B Ifyou have a question about human subjects regu-
B Byreviewing the facts and imposingclearpenalties lations, check with OHSR:
intheeventthatrulesare negligentlyordeliberatelyvio- <http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/>.
lated B For technology transfer questions, check with your
Let’s consider each ofthese points in turn. technology development coordinator:
<http://ott.od.nih.gov/nih_staff/tdc.html>
CommunicationofRules and Regulations or the Office ofTechnologyTransfer:
The rules covering conflictofinterest, humansubjects <http://ott.od.nih.gov/>.
regulations, and technology and materials transfer are B For advice on reporting possible conflicts of inter-
the subjects of courses required of all NIH scientists. If est, contact the Office ofManagement Assessment
you have not taken these courses, or have not taken <http://oma.od.nih.gov>.
them for a while, please check out the websites below Recently, I sent out a list ofofficial duty activities that
and take advantage ofthe concise, but complete, infor- mightrequiremoreadministrativescrutiny.TireNIHEthics
mation in the accessible computer-based courses: Office preparedthelistwiththehelpofvariousadvisoiy
<http://ethics.od.nih.gov/cbt.htm> committees to apprise our scientific principal investiga-
<http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/cbt/cbt.html> tors ofactivities that need review and approval. See
<http://tttraining.od.nih.gov/> <http://wwwl.od.nih.gov/oir/sourcebook/ethic-
The principles underlying the messages contained in conduct/officialdutypolicy.htm>
these subjects can be summarized as follows: Foroutsideactivities,supervisory,administrative, and/
For conflict of interest: Do not use your govern- or DEC review and approval is required.
ment position for real or perceived financial gain for
yourself, family members, friends, or significant others. Consequences ofViolatingRules
For human subjects research: All NIH researchers I amoftenaskedwhethertheindividualswhosenames
andresearchstaffareresponsibleforknowingwhentheir becameknowntoNIHorwhoself-reportedvariousvio-
researchactivitiesinvolvehumansubjects. Suchresearch lationsofconflict-of-interestregulationswereevercalled
maybe conducted onlyafterapproval byan NIH IRB or totask. Theanswerisyes.Thereisastrongsenseamong
the NIH Office of Human Subjects Research (OHSR). NIH staffthat individuals who willfully break NIH rules
Fortechnologytransfer: Inventionsand discoveries andregulationsshouldsuffertheconsequences.Todate,
made at NIH are the property of the U.S. government, detailedinvestigationsandanalyseshavebeencompleted
whose intent is to encourage their dissemination to ad- for all ofthe 44 persons in this categoiy, with disciplin-
vancethedevelopmentofresearchtoolsandbiomedical ary action ranging from letters ofreprimand to suspen-
products for the prevention, treatment, and cure ofhu- sionstoterminationofgovernmentemployment,depend-
man diseases. ing on the severity ofthe violation.
I recently sent out clarifications on the required IRB Although no simple set of principles or documents
oversight of the continuing use of identifiable human can fully capture the complexity ofthe laws, rules, and
tissue samples. See regulations thatgovern theworkoffederal scientists, it’s
<http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/info/DDIR_memo.html> up to each memberofthe NIH staffto be aware oftheir
and <http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/info/sheetl4.html> responsibilities, the basic principles that govern all of
It is not acceptable to use stored human samples ob- their official duty activities and outside activities, and
tainedunderaresearchprotocol unlessthere is continu- where to seek help if they have any questions about a
ingIRB reviewandapproval. Thismeansthatifyou ora proposed course ofaction. I hope this column assists in
colleaguehavesamplesinafreezerfromaprotocolclosed achieving that objective.
to further accrual and these samples have not been That said, I believe that the vast majority ofintramu-
anonymized,theIRBmustdecidewhetheryourproposed ral scientists make every effort to comply with the
research use is appropriate. Exceptions for anonymized myriad rules imposed upon them and that we must
samples can be obtained from OHSR: craft carefully any additional requirements to minimize
<http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/>. additional time and effort. —
MichaelGottesman, DDIR
2
July—August 2006
Frontier Science: September 19 Symposium
Showcases Pioneer Award Progress
bySarah Goforth
A Mil DIRK TOR’S
Letter to the Editor Stanford University progress at the second
(Stanford, Calif.) annual NIH Director’s
bioengineerislookingat Pioneer Award Sympo-
To the Catalyst, the brain on millisec- sium on Tuesday, Sep-
I was pleased to read tire article ond-long time scales to tember 19, inMasurAu-
on the Bench-to-Beclside resinifera- understand how rapid ditorium, Building 10.
toxin research project in the last is- changes in neural cir- Thesymposiumwill also
sue (“Bench-to-Bedside Journey to cuits relate to psychiat- feature the announce-
Morocco: Novel Strategy—toVanquish ric symptoms such as ment ofthe third class of
Intractable Cancer Pain Resinifera- anxiety and hopeless- PioneerAwardrecipients.
toxin at Threshold ofClinical Trial,” ness. Thedaywill kickoffat
TheNIHCatalyst, May-June 2006). Nearby at the Univer- 8:15 a.m. with opening
I wasespeciallypleasedtosee that sity of California, Santa remarks by NIH Director
the pioneering work in this field by Barbara, anevolutionary Elias Zerhouni and Jer-
mycolleague PeterBlumberg[senior psychologist is applying emy Berg, directorofthe
investigator, Laboratory of Cellular thetoolsofevolutionary NationalInstituteofGen-
Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promo- PIONEER
biology, cognitive sci- eral Medical Sciences,
tion, NCI] was duly noted in a foot- ence, anthropology, who shares responsibil-
noTtheistogtihveesarmtieclet.he opportunity to ncehuorloosgcyietoncset,udaynhdupmsayn- A-W-A-R-D inteyefroroAvwearrsedeinpgrothgeraPimo.-
remark on how the critical discover- motivation. Next come talks by the
frieuesesleoafnrocNthIboHuntlsyctihteanhtteiiosrftsootwlhinekrecNBoInlHtuimsnbcuieiernngg- AinrgMizehoaenrnaiwunnhdiTelurcesstoaannt,ditanhgebiofoUcnhhioevmweirsgsteintieys euoxs--f claVHsiosclkloiifsL2.0TC0.h5a:Cnldinlee,r,CUonlidverSspirtiynogfAHrairzboonra
ftciorsltoslmawbtohhroeatmemawaniydthroterahdmeimalyybuentxopwtrhesdoisrletechaterlinyr wpdraaetysisso—inonsfoiosrmceto—hnteorfoslwtluheddiycinhopflaarsneitmsailasassroacifpoaauttnhe--d j LniaabL,oerSdaaatnotrCayo,BsamCriobldadersaS,prUinnigveHrasribtoyr,ofN.CYa.lifor-
indebtedness to them. with disease in people. TitiadeLange, The RockefellerUniver-
In the case of the veiy rewarding On the East Coast, a neurobiologist sity
Bench-to-Beclside research of at Duke University Medical Center in KarlDeisseroth, Stanford University
[Michael] Iadarola and [Andrew] PehrA.B.Harbury, StanfordUniversity
Mtmicotsiiaefaoiakrnnnthicginnibungeuaagmlilsplya-pptagnatrbrnieoyandstadrt—Bcioeealthdlchupsuetm—arrlobnosmettd,dirhhunwgeecrah.rettreifeiBicolnlinihnsgeuefdmhaitoabnhaffseeaoreppuxbgcarncriooddrinimmaunss----k-- DbptaoaoerrubfAhdormioteaahaourvcRacknihomhtdoeceer,arksemtmaeaiiufltNtssoeo,.mtlinCeslc.anate,.ftunronsdrHddiUyisninseinhbcxevwlpoohewoeermuwrnrspmvtidkuaostictoniyncannasgoilgt.tnuibihlzmNieoadoretnlsdpieawtsroclunouYldvloeydaiaraipdrkros,e-,n-f jjjj TScSaaccnhlETDhhdeooreChooiNerEollcenremtthakooheasffDerJsm..rMMulSeeJAsamdda.niriiMdvRtccesihaiids,nnn,ieedcUDonai,ulvkeSCertesaniUtntnefyirov,orefdrRCsUoianttmitybveerMrriedsddaigimt-,ey
covered the resiniferatoxin-capsaicin telomeres is developing a new system ; GiulioTononi, UniversityofWisconsin-
connection, discoveredthe abilityof for studying the biological response to Madison Medical School
resiniferatoxintodownregulate pain, DNA damage. ClareM.Waterman-Storer,TheScripps
and showed that it had a receptor Andacross theAtlantic atthe Univer- Research Institute, LaJolla, Calif.
(whichr—esulted in the cloning ofthe sity of Cambridge in Cambridge, En- Nathan D. Wolfe, Johns Hopkins Uni-
receptor TRPV1). gland, a computational biologist uses versityBloombergSchoolofPublicHealth,
Blumberg continues to lead the powerful mathematical models to un- Baltimore
field in TRP receptors and pain and derstand how flu viruses and other | JunyingYuan, HarvardMedicalSchool,
is developing analogues of pathogens evolve. Boston
resiniferatoxin to use clinically. What do these varied and accom- Their research is described at
Needlesstosay, theNIPI infrastruc- plished people have in common? <http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/
ture promotes not only the freedom They are among lastyear’s recipients pioneer/Recipients05.aspx>.
to pursue at length tantalizing ques- of the NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards, Capping the event, from 3:40 to 5:30
tions but also the cross-talk among which recognize exceptionally creative p.m., will be a poster session by 2004
basic and clinical researchers work- scientistswhobringtheirtalentsandex- and 2005 Pioneers andmembers oftheir
ing in different institutes that electri- pertise to bear on some of the biggest i labs, along with a concurrent reception,
fies the atmosphere around here. challenges in biomedical research. Attendance is free, and no registration is
Congratulat—ions all around! Traditional NIH grants support re- j required. For the agenda, see
StuartH. Yuspa, Chief, search projects, but Pioneer Awards <http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pio-
LaboratoraynodfCTeulmluolrarPCraormcoitnioogne,neNsCiIs support individual researchers and al- neer/symposium2006/>.
low an unusual degree of freedom to For anoverview ofthe PioneerAward
—Speaking of cross-talk, see the innovateandtake risks. NIH made nine and its history as part of the NIH
Interinstit—uteInterestGroupDirectory, awards in 2004, the firstyearofthe pro- Roadmap for Medical Research, see
pp. 10-14 Ed. gram, and 13 more in 2005. <http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/
The 2005 awardees will present their pioneer/>.
3
— —
The NIH Catalyst
AbramsonBehavioralScience
continuedfrompage1
—
That’s nottrue. Howwe interactwith oth- in our country cancer, heart
ers and howthatrelates to the societywe disease, and pulmonary dis-
construct is basic research. eases.
We can work foiward from basic bio- Thebehavioralandsocialsci-
logic and sociobehavioral mechanisms ences can also be brought to
throughneuroscience, cognition, andemo- bear on the obesity epidemic
tiontounderstandthe basic behaviorpat- andtheemergenceoftype2dia-
terns of groups, families, and nations. At betes.
that point, there may b—e implications for
intervention and policy the applied sci- Q: Inhistalk[atthe 10th- an-
ence ofbehavior change goes to preven- niversary symposium], Dr.
tion, treatment, and more global policy- Kington referred to pockets
making. of resistance to behavioral
The starting point could also be a com- science in the biomedical
plicat—edproblemwithmultiplecausalpath- community. IsthatatNIHor
ways research involving tobacco and thebiomedicalcommunityat
health disparitie—s are probably two ofthe large? FranPollner
best examples from which you work ABRAMS: I think both. It’s also DavidAbrams: "As welearn moreaboutourgenes
backwards through different disciplines, a two-waystreet. There is resis- andthebiologicalvulnerabilitiesweallhavetocertain
differentbasicsciences,tothebasicmecha- tance amongboththebiomedi- kindsoflifestylesandexposurestopathogens, wesee
nisms, which lead to a fuller understand- calandthebehavioralsciences. howcritically important itistoensurethatwecreate
ing and better interventions. Each tends to protect its own lesstoxic lifestyles, neisgohcibeotriheso.od"s, communities, and
guild-like interests.
Q: Are your reasons for coming here There are still disciplinary silos, many foods that tend to taste good and reward
materializing? people who are comfortable doing only certain brain pathways but are unhealthy.
ABRAMS: Yes. Right now, we are at the what they were trained to do in graduate We usedto live inawo—rldwhere pleasure
crossroads of unprecedented discoveries school, a persisting beliefthat the big dis- was hard to come by where we had to
and urgent demands for solutions. I am coveries are made by an individual who run many miles to catch a deer, which
talkingaboutthefactthatthecostsofmain- has become an absolute expert on a veiy might have happened only every three
taining quality health care will be unsus- narrowmechanismandwinsaNobelprize. weeks; but now if your brain craves fat
tainable as aging baby boomers create a There’s a misplaced fear that transdiscip- andsugar,you cangetitmostanydayand
hugebolusofchronicdiseasesthatthreaten linary science will not solve the biggest cheaply. So there is a lot to sayforchang-
to overwhelm ouracute-care medical ser- problems. ing the environment and our behavior.
vices. Althoughthereisanemergingopenness Butyou can’t have disease unless those
Behavioral and social sciences have a to team science with the realization that environmental exposures get under the
lottocontributetopotentialsolutions. We no one discipline or causal model is ad- skin and interact with genes that are vul-
have very good principles a—nd measures equatetoaddresscomplicatedproblems nerable. There’s still the questions ofwhy
andevidence-basedfindings andwewill we are seeing this—particularly in the area do some ofus getfat and others not, why
havemoreopportunitytosharethatknowl- ofsystemsbiology thatopennessismore some have heart attacks and others not,
edge. This is an excitingtime formeto be withinthebroaddisciplinesofthebiomedi- why some kids get addicted to tobacco
here,tospuronthemostpressingresearch calsciencesorwithinthebroaddisciplines and others not. Genes and biology are as
questions and, perhaps even more impor- of the behavioral, social, and population important as environment. It’s not one or
tant, the fuller use of what we know al- sciences. Eachofthesetendstoresistlearn- the other b—ut both. The action is in the
ready. We need more integrative ap- ing from the other, resists crossing from interaction it’s really two sides of the
proaches and systems thinking. onet—otheothertounderstandallthecausal same coin.
Forinstance, thereare40millionpeople roles sociocultural, psychosocial, bio- I see myjob as helpingto formpartner-
whostillsmoke.That’sstillthesinglelead- logic, genetic. Systemsthinkingcanbeex- ships, accelerate the sense of excitement
ing cause of preventable death and costs panded from biology to behavior to soci- among biomedical, psychosocial, and
more than $160 billion a year in unneces- ety, from genomics to “populomics.” population scientists who are starting to
sary health care and lost productivity. So For instance, some in the population- embrace a paradigm shift based on the
while in the past 40 years we’ve had re- public health science community have a growing recognition that the 20th-century
soundingsuccessincuttingsmokinginhalf causes-of-the-causesmodel:Therealcause model of genetic determinism is incom-
anddramaticallyreducingassociateddeath ofpreventablediseasesandhealthdispari- plete. I see my job as challenging the re-
asmnodkedrissabwihlioty,netehderteobaeremosttiilvlat4e0dmtiolqluiiotn. teicesonuolmtiimcateenlvyirreosnimdeesnti—n tphoevemratyc,rolsaocckioo-f sroilsltauntpmtehemibresrlseevoefsalalntdheledairsncifprloinmesantdo
Behaviortherapy doubles therate ofquit- opportunity,pocketsofprevalenceofmul- talk to one another.
ting; addnicotinereplacementtherapy, and tiple risk factors, lack of access to health
therateisquadrupled. Ifwecouldgetonly care andto fresh fruits andvegetables, re- Q: In that capacity, are you dealing
5 percentmore smokers to quiteachyear, liance on fast foods, unsafe environments mostlyextramurallyorintramurally
we could halve the numberofsmokers in that prevent outdoor activity. and how?
thenext 10years. Thatmightnotsoundas I do believe thatwe have developed an ABRAMS: At the moment, our office has
dramatic as the impact of a heart trans- industrial society that unintentionally has been largely positioned and focused on
plant on an individual, but it would make createdanenvironmenttoxictoourgenes, enhancing extramural research, working
a huge societal difference in the burden which are notcapable ofchangingas fast. with our 27 IC partners, some of whom
ofsome ofthe biggest preventable killers Forinstance,wehavedevelopedprocessed were early enthusiastic supporters of our
4
July—August 2 0 0 6
OBSSRTenthAnniversary
continuedfrompage1
the behavioral “niche” was nearly everywhere; for others, more defined. Following is
random sample of some of the NIH literature on display during the symposium,
ranging from discrete studies to broader initiatives and programs. (This list does not
reflect the sum total ofthe behavioral research ofany of the institutes.)
program—suchasNCI,NIMH, NIA, NHLBI,
NIDA, NIAAA, NCCAM, NIDDK, NIDCR, NCCAM-funded research from the Insti- The Health and Retirement Study, a co-
NINR,ORWH,andNCMHD, tonameafew. tuteforBehavioralMedicineResearch, Ohio operative agreement between NIA and the
We build consensus for new initiatives State University, Columbus, on "How Stress University of Michigan Institute for Social
to bridge behavioral and biologic areas; Kills and How Complementary/Alternative Research inAnnArboramassesbiomedical,
weidentifyhighpriorities,seewherethings Medicine Interventions May Help: NewEvi- psychological, genetic, and economic data
maybefallingthroughthe cracks, anduse dence from Psychoneuroimmunology” sug- that is a public resource for thousands of
tnRroFaAtdsin,teitcooensaasldadrprirelosysgsrieasesmuaemssetcthhhaeatinrgiidsvomemsna,IiCsnsu—mcihsgahayt,s gtreoesrctyesprtteohsraptoltnehsveeelssefimfneacsytucohhfeylcopognbdauifotfineornssoilnausfbllaearmtIhmLra-i-6- rSboeecshieaaavlricoRhreeasrlesa.prrcTohcheePsrsoiengssrtaiatnmudteep’msobprBuaelchaeatsviioionnrdaainlviddausnaodl-
theissueofdepressionandcardiacdisease. tis,asthma,andinflammatoryboweldisease. cial processes.
I thinkthis whole processwill be facili- NIDCR-fundedresearchfromthe Univer- The Models of Infectious Disease Agent
tated by OPASI (Office ofPortfolio Analy- sity of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Study (MIDAS), supported by NIGMS in-
sis and Strategic Initiatives), which is de- Arbor, and the Detroit Center for Research volves transdisciplinary collaborations to
signed to look at trans-IC opportunities. on Oral Health Disparities: “Solving Com- develop computational models ofthe inter-
My hope is that because OBSSR exists, munity Oral Health Problems through Ac- actions between infectious agents and their
therewillbequicker, better, strongertrans- tion-Oriented Research” is focusing on two hosts, disease spread, and response strate-
IC research initiatives. — majorcommunity-wide issues: dental caries gies. “Basic behavioral science research in-
Nowfortheintramuralside Ialsothink inchildrenandtheircaregiversandoralcan- forms MIDAS modeling ofhuman behavior
we should play more ofa role in looking cer in African American men in Detroit. undernormal conditions andin response to
at behavioral and social science in the in- an infectious disease outbreak.” Other
tramural program. At this point, I would NIMH-funded research from the Univer- NIGMS initiatives with basic behavioral re-
startsimplybydoingan inventoryofwhat sityofMarylandPsychiatricResearchCenter search components are a new program for
is going on intramurally and what needs in Baltimore and the University of Iowa in CollaborativeResearchforMolecularandGe-
strengthening. Weneedtogothroughthat Iowa City addresses the nature and impact netic Studies of Basic Behavior in Animal
process. of impaired attention control on cognition Modelsand awardsforTrainingatthe Inter-
and overall functioning in schizophrenia, faceoftheBehavioralSciencesandBiology.
Q: Do you fear the tightening budget with implications for treatment. Issues ad-
will negativelyaffectyouroffice? dressedatrecentNIMH-sponsoredmeetings NHGRI'.s Ethical, Legal, and Social Impli-
AawBaRrAeMneSs:sNofo.hoIwthvianlkuatbhleerebeihsaevvioernalmoarned tirnecaltuidnegcrheiwladrrdennweiutrhcidrecpurietsrsyiionn,adionldeisgceennotus,s cNaItCioHnDsa(nEdLStIhe)DReepsaertamrecnhtPofroEngerragmy,, fwuintdhs
sscroaicitidiacla[altstctiihmeeencaiennnrwievhseieracsrhacrhsyoism.meuAetscihDnrgo.]f,Zpetrhreihvsoeuinsnti-a stlmiaueatinticitoivnedsasehd-aihprpererebevteenrtncawntesie.loeanAntimpaoronnoaxngligreratempysoseta,eannradtcnihddaeloHpnrIneVetshwsteireoiranneti,--- fguinoneudnEreLorSmmsIuielRctrievdsehiedesaacrailcnpthldhitnthcahaaretryeiaCndetdaenrngterdesarststishoounefcoEhmfxeicrdseeislsucleeaeaslnrlccayehs
ablediseaseclearlyhaschangeablebehav- interventionsandservice-deliverymodelsfor ongenetics andethics. Underconsideration
ioral causes. If anything, that situation youth transitioning to adulthood, and men- are centers for the study of health dispari-
should enhance a—ppreciation ofthe need tal health issues in basic translational social tiesintobaccodependence,asthma, anddia-
for partnerships working together to neuroscience. betes; social and cultural identities of indi-
solve problemsmore efficiently. viduals andcommunities ofAfrican descent
DozensofpublishedNICHD-lundedstud- and how they influence attitudes about
Q:DidyoufindtheOBSSRmeetingex- ies on learning, obesity, andbehavioraland genomics,healthcare,andhealthbehaviors;
citing? social science research through the lifespan and how information from genetics studies
ABRAMS: It exceeded my wildest expec- included such titles as “Dyslexia-Specific isusedinbiomedicalresearchrelatedtonew-
tations.We don’toftenputtoget—herinone Brain Activation Profile Becomes Normal born screening, adolescent health, and cen-
place all the amazing research the dis- Following Successful Remedial Training,” tralized DNA banking.
cover—ies, the applied research contribu- “Developmental Changes in the Functional
tions across the 27 ICs over 10 or more Brain Responses of Adolescents to Images NCIpartnerswithNIDAand NIAAA(and
years. It’s also great for behavioral and ofHigh-andLow-CalorieFoods,”and "Early the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to
socialscientiststoseehowfarwe’vecome, ExperienceAlters Brain Function andStruc- fundeightTransdisciplinaryTobaccoUseRe-
howmuchoursciencehasmatured, tosee ture.” search Centers and with OBSSR, NIEHS
theevidence-basedinterventionsthathave NCMHD andNIA tofundeight Centersfor
been proventowork inrandomized—trials NIAAAprovidedanoverviewofinstitute- Population Health and Health Disparities.
and otherrigorous research designs and supported behavioral research on alcohol One of these centers, based at the Univer-
that do work in the real world. We are a dependence; alcoholacrossthelifespan; the sity ofChicago, is exploring “Breast Cancer
hpuabrldiscchieeanlctehthaantdistahcetuqaulallyitiymporfocvairnegatnhde voanrydiinfgfeirnefnltueanlcceoshoolf-greenlaetsedanbdeheanvviiorrosn;mebnet- aEnnvdiSroocnimalenItnstertahcattioRnesg:uIldaetnetiGfyeinneg MEuxlptriepsl-e
havioral phenotypes and alcohol-related sion,” which aims to explore the “influence
reAduscitnheg ccohsatsi.rman of the British Medical problems;humangenesaffectingclinicaland ofsocialenvironmentandpsychologicalfac-
other phenotypes; the relationship of alco- tors on the epigenetic regulation of breast
RleensgeearnchowCoiusnctoilmroevceentflryomsaigde,ntohmeiccshalt-o hleoslcesnetnss;itilveiatrynianngdapbrooubtledmraitnikcinugsebeihnaavdioo-r cdaensciegrnegdentoe aedxdprreessssiotnh.e”qTuheisstiroenseoafrcwhhyis
populomics to look at the patterns ofdis- from animal models; decisionmaking about “African American women develop a pre-
ease in whole populations, which should alcohol; the affects ofalcohol on brain and menopausal form of breast cancer that is
facilitate understandingthe gene-environ- behavior; and behavioral approaches to in- more lethalandaggressivethanthat experi-
mentinteractionforthemajorchronicdis- tervention. enced by white women.” H
eases and most common diseases.
5
—
The NIH Catalyst
A PosterDaySamplerof9from anions200+ byDustinHays
Postbacs Explore Pathways to Disease, Approaches to Treatment andKarenross
—
All in the Family issues or makes health-care decisions? cadian rhythm predictably low in the
Have family members developed a more middle of the night and peaking in the
accurate picture of their risk of disease morning.
based on what the study participants Alii and his colleagues hypothesized
learned about their risk? Have family that the secretion ofhormones mightbe
membersmadelifestylechangestoreduce influenced by the hyperactive immune
their disease risk? system of RA patients and contribute to
This study is part of a larger effort to thedevelopmentoftheirsignsandsymp-
understand how family relationships in- toms. So they collected blood from RA
fluence health perceptions and decision patients and healthy control subjects at
making. Studies on other demographic 20-minuteintervalsfor24hoursandmea-
groups are in the works, says Aleman- suredthelevelsofseveralhormonesand
Diaz, who graduated fromthe University inflammatory molecules that might con-
KarenRoss of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2005 and tributeto RAsymptoms: TNF-a, GM-CSF,
AixaAleman-Diaz plans to study cultural anthropology and IL-8, and IL-6.
public health in graduate school. In both patients and control subjects,
Againx,aAAnlenmAanr-bDoiraz, University ofMichi- anSdhehewlilpl sptuatyahterNHpGrRotIoctohlroiungthothaicstifaolnl valalrifaotiuorn,mowlietchultheeshsihghoewsetdleavelcsiroccacduira-n
DTehceiRsoiloenoMfaFkaimnigl:yAanCdonCcuelptturuealinMHoedaellth working with families in the Houston, ring in the early morning near the end
Preceptor: Laura Koehly, Socialand Be- Texas, area in partnership with the Uni- ofthe low-cortisol period.
havioralResearchBranch, NHGRI versity of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Although analysis of their data is on-
D Center. — going, one interesting finding, says Alii,
uring the past year, Aleman-Diaz Karen Ross isthatRApatientshadsignificantlyhigher
and Koehly have developed a Cortisol-RA Connection levels ofIL-6 levels in the early morning
protocol to study how family in- thandidcontrolsubjects, suggestingthat
cortisol might be important to keep IL-6
teractions affect the sharing of accurate
health informationandhealth-promoting levels in check in RA patients. In gen-
eral, RA patients had higherlevels ofim-
behaviors.
The study will focus on multigenera- mune mediators than control subjects at
tional Latino families living in the United all timesofday, but the differenceswere
States. Several membersofeachfamily often not statistically significant.
The correlationbetween dailyfluctua-
ytyopuincagllcyhitlhderepna—renwitlslabnedagsrkaenddapbaoruetnttsheoifr tions in cortisol and RA symptoms fits in
family social structure and their percep- nicelywithclinicaldatashowingthatste-
tions of common health problems such roid hormones similar to cortisol are of-
as diabetes and heart disease. The same ten an effective treatment for RA, says
fFaammiillyy mHeeamlbtehrHsiswtiolrly t(hFeHnH)cotmoopll,etseucha ShaanAlii Atlhiei.iFmumtuurneestsuydsiteesmoinn tRhAe pbaethiaevntiso,rhoef
awisllthaessCeDsCs’rsisFkafmoirlyvaHreiaoulsthdwiaseraes™e,swbhaiscehd SsihtayaonfANleiiw, BYaorrukch College, City Univer- tahdedst,immeigohftdadyotwheatllsatmoptlaeksea—irnetKocaoraleclneccotRueondst.s
on genetic, environmental, and behav- Circadian Rhythm ofPro-inflammatory
ioral factors. Cytokines in RheumatoidArthritis Prolactin—Breast Cancer
UponcompletingtheFHH, participants Preceptor: Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky,
willbetoldoftheirdisease riskbasedon OfficeoftheClinical Director, NIAMS
family health history and given tips for
disease prevention based on behavioral P atients with rheumatoid arthritis
assessments. (RA), an autoimmune disease that
The researchers are interested in what causes pain, swelling, and stiffness
happens next, when the participants go inthejoints, oftenobservethattheirsymp-
backtotheirfamiliesarmedwiththisnew toms are worst in the early morning.
information. Theywilldotwofollow-ups, Work by Alii and Goldbach-Mansky in
atseveralweeks andsix months afterthe collaborationwith MarcBlackman’sgroup
administration of the FHH, to look for atNCCAMsuggeststhatthisphenomenon
changes in perceptions of what causes maybeassociatedwithnaturaldailyvaria-
common diseases and their own risks of tions in cortisol, a steroid hormone pro- KarenRoss
disease, as well as changes in health-re- duced by the adrenal gland that can sup- Kamun Chan
lated attitudes and behaviors. press the immune system. KamunChan,BardCollege,Annandale-
Importantly, says Aleman-Diaz, they Secreted at high levels in stressful situ- on-Hudson, N.Y.
want to focus not just on individual fam- ations, cortisol increases blood pressure EffectsofProlactinOver-expressionon
ily members but on how the information and blood sugar and suppresses the pro- theProgression ofBreast Cancer
affects the entire family system. duction of some inflammatory agents of Preceptor: Barbara Vonderhaar, Mam-
For example: Has the family changed the immune system. Aside from stress-re- maryBiologyandTumorigenesis Labo-
thewayitsharesinformationabouthealth lated spikes, cortisol levels exhibit a cir- ratory, NCI
6
July—August 2006
C han has been studying breast tu- Holmes will continue her research from
mor development in Vonderhaar’s a couple of new angles.
labsinceAugust2005- Herresearch She will explore whether genetic dif-
concernsthe complexand poorlyunder- ferences in HLAs, immune system mol-
stoodrelationship betweenthehormone ecules thathelp recognize foreigninvad-
prolactin and the development ofbreast ers, affecttheabilitytorecoverfromHCV
cancer. Prolactin promotes breast milk withouttreatment, aswell aswhetherthe
production and is secreted in large frequency of spontaneous recovery var-
amounts by the pituitary gland in preg- ies with different HCV strain—s.
nant and breastfeeding women. Prolac- Karen Ross
tin is also made locally by breast tissue
and breast cancer cells. KarenRoss Sickle Cell Strategies
In addition, the Nurses’ Health Study BrittanyHolmes
tathatHaprrvea-radndUnipvoersstimtey,noBpoasutsoanl, swhoomweend BBroiutltdaenry Holmes, University of Colorado-
with the highest serum prolactin levels ImmunologicalMemory in Hepatitis C:
have an increased risk of developing A Comparison of Treatment-induced
breast cancer. Recovery andSpontaneousRecovery
To explore this dynamic on a cellular Preceptor: Barbara Rehermann, Liver
level, Chan designed a system to Diseases Branch, NIDDK
overexpress prolactin in four cell lines female,” says Holmes, who has been
tchaantcerrepdreevseenltopdmieffnetr—entnosrtmaagelsborfeabsrteatisst- studying the disease in Rehermann’s lab
bssueueec,ncpuramecnbteieovdaptlteaodsttbhiuectu(ntschooemnettirososnlucleoeghdaepsnreonsloithfeayrveaet- scihnrIcnoenmilcoasshttepOacctatisotebises,,r.haonwdevtreera,tmHeCntVwictahusiens- VickiR. McGowan II DustinHays
tionoffull-blowncancer), invasivebreast terferon and the antiviral drug ribavirin VickiR.McGowanII,UniversityofMary-
cancer, andmetastaticbreastcancer. Chan isnecessaiytostamp outthe infection. If land, BaltimoreCounty
coadnivatuenimrb.eciooxtnpitrcreodslosxewydhceiytnchlheiernrecoetrlolnstohbteycpaurdlotlduaircnetgimntehi-es lloeinfvItentrtuhenefraiteirrsletouairwtneegnldoy,rd,elHpvieCveoelVrpolcpieannafwcneehcrito.imofmneunncdoalonoffgciHacuCasVel CeLPilartisetnelci:eec,ApaCltaSoErtrvdosiar:olyvuiMaanastciTruohklnraseGreliBAnarcdaStwnisccikhnl,eaNCnHedLllBJIDainse-
ttfotehoitsarohCttnehcrhaahanenoyncrdeweaprscrlpseyalrtslntootsolmeacommcttoeotintilitasinsisttrtynaa,aeufysafewiedihzcnhyteies.tcrthohcTepehrgliosloelj,annepbecrsstcofh.hleoeiesrNfsewwaoariirnlalw-yl-l wmckpptioroeheloualumotnrtneothcderrneteeroiyrvqtvisHuerotitCufmraosVeentaddhmrtaeeoerwgvaerhvreiaiyyalnrtp.ou,mTisped,Tnclettyslchloeiastlsc.olttshHipbavoootaeplptuitmecfldieu.atmsrthiPeiezaedoyeiondmpaeelpnotde--of rroSiubgpsittdurradmuieccean,ktrldllecbtmyahlicaudsoetslosolihudcnagadgpvhuieesnsasneeuns.astes-aTlersrsherheidaaassypnbeaedoladgfob,aeohrnndeeetoaotrclpiembtlcrahleosldcn,ciceosoenomlmortle-r-os
iinnjteoctmihceerapnrdollaocotikna-tovtehreeaxgpgrersessisnigvecneelslss whSohehamdixreedcoivmemruednespcoenlltsanferooumsplaytifernotms pnlailcfaatiilounrse,, istnrcolkued,inagndanpeumlimao,ncahrryonhiycperre--
ofanyresultingtumors. She hopes even- hepatitis C with HCVproteins and saw a tension. There is no cure for the disor-
tptuauatmlholywratgyorsotwtethaahst.eporuoltactthiencueslelsultaorisnifglnuaelnicneg vliifgeorraoteudsainmdmbuengeanretsopsoencsree.teTinctelelrsfeprroon-- dceorm.plEifcfaecttiiovnesmrealnieasgoenmeanddtreosfssiincgklseymcepl-l
ytecpodiiaoomnefrCnysufthdeh,niriuoacgncainwatpmrtaiiehaoptsnseninrgeandoglaUgsgrhnwpoiceriohnhratapeywemurrfodlsdeeratislStkhaseltaiabesoatoraothwcnesuoshaeitsp.,niuasmhtbInssehnagdhaerneltaohdNtodeuhhIdaspaieHlesdstdtmiihAuisiobnpccncnaeaataarhedtrritin-ese-os ywswttmd,rriiyuhaefWtsaccaofhthntteheierrenmiideegnwmmncwapecmiortoeasstvhurekhheentbnieeraaeenverlntdid.ttwimcrhaedeeeswflsetelftpensiaarhornsepnfttpdsorrasesetnoit.aiaxmhtemimomnTnesHeothensnetCtethr,Vwwxehephhssiephwooorameatfimswwigmcueoeeeontnnrrnnteeoet-sa bmetttcathachlooeetcaPomnriunousiahordzlenraieaamtydaptreooreirtlafonehtylntsaye.—sossprfituetoycircrhrkseutleihreueinrlysnnveupcseannteeistlghroiillsetnnvy)ee—adffrniioasrtssrrneeeaiiiaqdmgoysumhenteteaalh.njeseh(toaureTidrreanmhifircconeotnrongrgeimecmfatppaolrsolutesoreilhsmt-d---s
country. —Karen Ross treSahteedfloautenrd, sthhaetsTaysc.ells from both un- tinwgo. MlecssG-oinwvaasnivies aelxtpelronratiinvgesthfeorvarlouuteinoef
Immunity to Hepatitis C treated andtreated patientswere able to monitoring ofpulmonary hypertension.
H respondtomanydifferentpiecesofHCV, McGowan’s team measuredserum lac-
epatitis C, a liver disease caused but in each case the response in the un- tate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels taken
by an RNA virus (HCV), spreads treatedcohortwasmoreintense. Theim- from 213 sickle cell patients and ranked
from person to person through muneresponseofthetreatedpatientsfell themintothreegroups: low,medium, and
contact with infected blood or blood shorter in “strength, not breadth,” she high. LDHisusuallypresentinserumonly
products. Occasionally, peoplewhocon- observes. when cells rupture, a characteristic of
tract hepatitis C recover spontaneously, Before she heads to Nashville, Tenn., sicklecelldisease. Seventypercent ofpa-
especially ifthey are “young, lucky, and to Vanderbilt Medical School in the fall, continuedon nextpage
7
The NIH Catalyst
PostbacPosters
continuedfrompage5
tients with high levels of LDH also had thatexternalstimuli, suchasthesightand Anticancer Liposomes
pulmonaryhypertension, suggestingthat smell of food, motivate binge-eaters to
“LDH shows promise as a marker for consume food beyond satiation. Marga-
hemolysis in sickle cell patients and may ret Mirch’s research explores the role
suggest a risk of pulmonary hyperten- binge-eating plays in the developmental
sion,” says McGowan. progression of obesity.
The team also demonstrated the value Mirch’s lab conducted an experiment
ofechocardiographyinassessingpulmo- to assess energy intake and satiety dura-
naryhypertension. Tricuspidvalveregur- tion of overweight children and to ex-
gitant jet velocity (the speed at which amine the contribution binge-eating be-
bloodflowsbackintothe atriumthrough haviorplays in food consumption. Study
the tricuspid valve), as measured by participants were overweight children,
echocardiogram, correlatedwellwithpul- ages 6 to 12. Each participant completed
monary pressures measured directly by two surveys: One addressed eating and KarenRoss
right heart catheterization and with pa- weight patterns; the otherwas a 57-item ShiikantTele
tients’ performanceofatimedsix-minute food-preference questionnaire. Shrikant Tele, University of Maryland,
walk used to assess cardiopulmonary After an overnight fast, the children College Park
function. These results bolster previous were presented with a 27-item food ar- The Development ofMultifunctionalLi-
findings that echocardiography is a reli- ray and told, “Let yourselfgo and eat as posomes with Targeting, Imaging, and
able means ofmeasuring pulmonary hy- much as you like. You may eat as much TriggeredReleaseProperties
pertension. of anything that you would like to, but Preceptors: Robert Blumenthal, Anu
A third area of her work involves the you do not have to eat anything you do PMuri, NanobiologyProgram, NCI
design of a clinical trial to further study not like.” The duration of the meal and
benefitsoftreatingsicklecelldiseasewith thecaloriesconsumedwererecorded. To ost anticancer drugs are good at
acombina—tionofhydroxymreaanderyth- establish the duration of satiety, partici- killing cancer cells, but they can
ropoietin two drugs that typically are pants were asked to refrain from eating also wreak havoc on healthy tis-
administered independentlybutwerere- or drinking until they reported the onset sues. Encasing drugs inside a protective
ported by NIDDK’s Griff Rodgers in a of hunger. lipidparticleandtargetingtheparticledi-
1993 article in the NewEnglandJournal On the second day, after an overnight rectlyto the tumorwould go a longway
ofMedicine to have a synergistic effect. fast, participants consumed a standard- toward increasing the efficacy and de-
The “essential goal is to extend izedbreakfastconsistingofa 500-ccshake creasing the toxicity of chemotherapy,
[Rodgers’] findings,” saysMcGowan, who containing 787 kcal. Again, the satiety says Tele, who has been developingthis
begins medical school this fall at the Vir- duration was recorded. After reporting technology with Blumenthal and Puri.
ginia College ofOsteopathic Medicine in hunger onset, the children were pre- Tele isworkingontwo as—pectsofdrug
Blacksburg. sented with a second buffet identical to deliveryusinglipidparticles howtotar-
•—DustinHays the one ofthe previous day. Again, calo- get the particle to the tumor, and howto
ries consumed were recorded. Immedi- gettheparticletoreleaseitscontentsonce
Binging and Weight Gain atelybeforeandafterfoodwaspresented, it gets there. The route ofdelivery ofthe
participants were asked to rate on a vi- lipid particle is determinedby the target-
sual analog scale their hunger, their de- ing ligand(s) and the biophysical prop-
sire to eat, and their fullness. erties ofthe liposomes.
Overweight children who exhibited To get the particles to congregate at
binge-eating behavior hada significantly the site ofthe tumor, Tele plans to deco-
greater desire to eat and, when given rate the outside ofthe particleswithspe-
access to large quantities of palatable cific antibodies that bind to molecules
food, consumed more calories than chil- found onlyon the surface oftumorcells.
dren who did not binge. The study also Eachtype oftumorwill probablyrequire
showed that binge-eating children feel a different antibody, he says.
hungry sooner than their non-bingeing At first he will use the anti-HER2-neu
counterparts. antibody,whichrecognizesagrowthfac-
DustinHays “Training children to attend to physi- torreceptorexpressedbyaboutone-third
MargaretMirch cal hunger signals” rather than sensoiy ofbreastcancers. Hewill alsoexperiment
MargaretMirch, CornellUniversity cues, Mirch says, mightbe a waytoslow with anti-HER2-neu Affibodies™, com-
Effects ofBinge Eating on the Energy weight gain in children with binge-eat- mercially available molecules that func-
Intake, Satiation, and Satiety ofOver- ing tendencies. tion like antibodies but are smaller and
weightChildren duringBuffetMeals More studies are needed to elucidate easier to handle.
Preceptor:JackYanovski,Developmen- the “behavioral, genetic, and neurohu- Liposomes “dumptheirpayload” upon
talEndocrinology Branch, NICHD moral mechanisms” thatmayaccountfor temperature regulation, says Tele. The
deficits in appetite regulation among particlestheyuse holdtogetherverywell
T
he percentage of overweight chil- binge-eating children, she adds. at body temperature (37 °C) but disinte-
drenintheUnitedStateshastripled Mirch plans to continue her work in grate atslightlyhighertemperatures (41-
since 1980. Overweight children nutrition science this fall when she en- 42 ”C). He plans to use a focused ultra-
who binge-eat gain more weight and fat tersBostonUniversity’sgraduateprogram sound device for local heating of breast
mass than overweight children who do in nutrition. cancer tissue.
notexhibitthistendency. Itisspeculated —DustinHays To help during the development and
8
—
,
July—August 2006
testingstages, Tele has incorporateddyes oping people are associated with ASD- sity (BMD), usually determined by dual-
into the particles so they can be tracked likefindingsinexecutivefunctioningand energy X-ray absorptiometry, is viewed
insidethebodywith imagingequipment. brain structure. Also, because ASD dis- as a major risk factor for osteoporosis
After several attempts, he found a dye proportionately affect males, she asked andseveral studies havesuggestedalink
thatdoesn’tadverselyaffectthestructure whethermalesweregenerallymorelikely betweenmajordepressionandlowBMD.
of the particles or their temperature-de- than females to have manyautistic traits. To assess the evidence in support ofa
pendent breakdown. He plans to con- Timberlakeworkedwithagroup of88 link between low BMD and depression,
tinue his stay and this research for an- typically developing children, half male Toomey conducted a meta-analysis of
otheryear, afterwhich he hopes to go to and halffemale, from ages 8 through 18. datafrom 16studiesthatcompared BMD
graduate school. — TheirparentsfilledouttheSocialRespon- in depressed individuals and nonde-
Karen Ross siveness Scale (SRS), a 65-item question- pressed controls. Some of these studies
naire that assesses social and communi- used DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical
Autistic Traits cation skills and flexibility; the children Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria to
underwent tests for executive function- define depression; others relied on less
ingandanMRI tolookatbrainstructure. stringent methods, such as the Geriatric
Timberlake empha—sizes that the study DepressionScale,whichToomeysaysare
“needsmorepower” thenumberofsub- not as reliable.
jects was too small and the analysis of BMD values from the antero-posterior
brain structure too rough to glean very spine CAP spine), the totalfemur, andthe
many statistically significant results. She femoral neck were analyzed. Overall
isworkingtoovercometheselimitations. analysisshowedthatinallthreeanatomic
But, she notes, there were a few sig- areas, BMD was significantly lower in
nificant findings and many interesting depressed subjects.
trends. Children with poorer communi- When the data were limited to studies
cation skills onthe SRS tended to do less that used DSM criteria, BMD values of
KarenRoss
well on the executive functioning tests. thetotalfemurandAPspineofdepressed
April Timberlake
Children with high SRS scores (manyau- patients were even lower than those in
AprilTimberlake, HarvardUniversity tistic traits) had reduced gray matter in the broader analysis described above.
TheRelationshipbetweenTemperament, the right temporal lobe. Finally, boys on There was no similar reduction in the
Autistic Traits, and CognitiveFunction- average had higherSRS scores thangirls. femoral neck BMD in subjects whose
ing inaSampleofTypicallyDeveloping Suchfindingssuggestthatautistictraits depressionwas diagnosedby DSM crite-
Children andAdolescents in typically developing children are as- ria. Toomeynotes, however, thatbecause
Preceptor: Jay Giedd, Child Psychiatry sociated with executive dysfunction and this data subset included far fewer sub-
Branch, NIMH some group-level brain differences, as jects, the findings should be interpreted
observed in ASD, says Timberlake, who with caution.
P edeorpsle(AwSiDt)hhaauvteisdmiffsipceulcttyrcuommdmiusonr-- begins medical school in the—fKalal.ren Ross ofIdnaatdadidteiroinv,eTdoformoemystaundaileyszethdata seuxbasme-t
ers, anicdatiandga,pitnitnegracttoincghsaoncgiea.llyAwSiDthnotohw- Bone Density Blues tionteadlfBeMmuDrBinMmDewnasanldowfeoruinnddtehpartesosneldy
affectabout 0.3-0.6 percent ofthepopu- subjectsthanintheirnondepressedcoun-
lation and are becoming more common, terparts. No difference was detected in
says Timberlake, a 2005 Harvard gradu- the AP spine or femoral neck BMDs in
atewhocametoNIHlastOctobertostudy w, depressed men versus men without de-
social cognition with Gied—d. \ pression. Again, because the numbers
ASDcoverawiderange fromtherela- ju?. wererelativelysmall, Toomeyurges cau-
tively mild behavioral and pragmatic — tion in interpretation. “We think there
Assppeeercgher’asbnsoyrnmdarliotmieestootfhepeododp,lerepweittih- 1 A ' pasrolbaargbel”yaiss tshoamteinewffoemctenin,msehne,sbayust.not
tive behaviors and very limited speech Theresultsofthismeta-analysisdosup-
andsocialinteractionobservedinpeople porta correlationbetweenmajordepres-
with severe classical autism. sion and low BMD, Toomey says, but
ASSDtudhiaevsehparvoeblsehmoswwnitthhatsppeceiofpilceskwiilltsh, Caitlin Toomey DustinHays tfuhretheexrascttudniaestuarree roefqutihreedretloateilouncsihdiapt.e
such as strategizing, planning, and shift- Caitlin Toomey, CornellUniversity Toomey’s group speculates that people
ingattentionbackandforth amongtasks Is Major Depression Associated with with major depression fail to reach opti-
thatarecollectivelycalledexecutivefunc- DecreasedBoneMineralDensity?ACom- mal peak bone density, which is usually
tioning. The brains of people with au- prehensive Meta-Analysis ofAll Pub- established by age 30.
tis—malsolooka littleunusualinMRIstud- lishedStudies Meanwhile, sheadds, patientswithlow
ies for example, they have less gray Preceptor: Giovanni Cizza, Clinical En- BMD mightwell be screenedfor depres-
matBteecratuhsaenAnSorDmaclomipnrtihseeteamspporeacltrluombeso.f dMocrinology Branch, NIDDK ssiioonn,maingdhptatwieelnltshdaivaegntohseeirdwBiMthDdeepvraelsu--
conditions, conceptually this continuum ore than 1.5 millionosteoporotic ated. Toomey starts medical school this
could be extended down to the general fractures occur annually in the fall attheVanderbiltUniversitySchool of
population. Timberlake wanted to know United States, many requiring Medicine in Nashville. —
whether autistic traits in typically devel- hospitalization. Low bone mineral den- DustinHays
9
The NIH Catalyst
Interinstitute Interest Group Directory
Structural BiologyInterestGroup Bioethics InterestGroup
Web Access Meeting time and place (2006-07): Usually Meeting time: 1st Monday (except 2nd
3rd Thursday, 4:00 pm, Building 50, first Monday following holidays; usually does
Although not all the sites are up floor conference room; notices by e-mail not meet during summer), 3:00 pm
to date, nearly all the Interest and on the SBIG website Meeting place: Natcher, Room D, or
Groups havewebsites thatcanbe Contact 1: Teresa Przytycka Building 31, conference room; check
accessed through <http:// Phone: [phone] yellow sheet orweb site
www.mh.gov/sigs/sigs.html>). E-mail: <[email protected]> Contact: Miriam Kelty
Contact 2: Doug Sheeley Phone: [phone]
Phone: [phone] E-mail: <[email protected]>
MajorInterestGroups TE-omarielgi:s<[email protected]>ents, SBiIgOnETuHpICaStin<thtetrpe:s/t/[email protected]/>
join SBIG at <www.nih.gov/sigs/sbig>
Cell BiologyInterest Group BiomedicalComputingInterest Group
Meeting time: Not specified OtherInterestGroups Meeting time: 1st three Thursdays, 3:00
Meeting place: Building 32, Library pm; 4th Thursday, 5:30 pm (evening
Contact:JenniferLippincott-Schwartz 14-3-3 Proteins Interest Group socials on 5thThursdays; darkAug & Dec)
Phone: [phone] Meeting time: Usually the third Wednes- Meeting place: Building 10, Room 2C116
E-mail: <[email protected]> day, 4:00-5:00 pm (Medical Board Room)
ListServ: subscribe to CELBIO-L Meeting place: Building 40, First-floor Contact 1:Jim DeLeo
Conference Room Phone: [phone]
Clinical Research Interestgroup Contact 1: David C. Klein E-mail: <[email protected]>
Meeting time and place: sponsors CC Phone: [phone] Contact 2: Carl Leonard
Grand Rounds once every other month E-mail: <[email protected]> E-mail: <[email protected]>
Contact: CliffLane Contact 2: Surajit Ganguly ListServe: subscribe to BCIG-L
Phone: [phone] Phone: [phone]
E-mail: <[email protected]> E-mail: <[email protected]> Biophysics InterestGroup
Meeting time and place: Holds seminars
Genetics Interest Group AdvancedTechnologies InterestGroup and conferences; does not meet regularly
Meeting time and place: Two all-day Meeting time and place: Check the website Contact: Peter Basser
symposia a year to be announced Contact: Steven Hausman Phone: [phone]
Contact: Dan Kastner Phone: [phone] E-mail: <[email protected]>
Phone: [phone] E-mail: <[email protected]>
E-mail: <[email protected]> Biosciences Business InterestGroup
ListServ: subscribe to <[email protected]> AIDS InterestGroup Meeting time: Monthly, 12:00-1:00 pm
Meeting time and place: Varies Meeting place: Building 37, 4th Floor
ImmunologyInterestGroup Contact: Fulvia Veronese Conference Room (4041/4107)
Meeting time: Each Wednesday (except Phone: [phone] Contact 1: Val Bliskovsky
summer), 4:15 pm E-mail: <[email protected]> Phone: [phone]
Meeting place: Building 10, Lipsett ListServ: subscribe to AIDSINTG-L E-mail: <[email protected]>
Auditorium
Contact 1: Ron Germain AnimalWell-BeingInterestGroup Calcium InterestGroup
Phone: [phone] Meeting time: quarterly Meeting time and place: Not regularly
E-mail: <[email protected]> Meeting place: Building 14G, large scheduled atthis time
Contact 2: Brian Kelsall conference room; occasionally hosts Contact 1: Arthur Sherman
Phone: [phone] speakers on campus Phone: [phone]
E-mail: <[email protected]> Contact: JimWeed E-mail: <[email protected]>
ListServ: subscribe to IMMUNI-L by joining Phone: [phone] Contact 2: Indu Ambudkar
the interest group at its web site E-mail: <[email protected]> Phone: [phone]
Molecular Biology/Biochemistry Apoptosis Interest Group ELi-smtaSielrv::<[email protected]>
InterestGroup Meeting time: 1st Monday, 4:00 pm
Meeting time and place: No regular Meeting place: Bldg 49, Room 1 50/59 AB CancerCAM Research InterestGroup
meetings. IG heads meetyearly to Contact 1: Richard Youle Meeting time and place: Varies
considerWALS speaker nominations Phone: [phone] Contact: Jeffrey White
Contact: Carl Baker E-mail: [email protected] Phone: [phone]
Phone: [phone] Contact 2: Yves Pommier E-mail: <[email protected]>
E-mail: <[email protected]> Phone: [phone]
E-mail: <[email protected]> Chemistry Interest Group
Neuroscience InterestGroup Meeting time: Periodic seminars
Meeting time and place: Check website BehavioralandSocialSciencesInterest Meeting place: Varies
Contact 1: Kenton Swartz Group Contact 1:John Schwab
Phone: [phone] Meeting time: Varies; lecture series Phone: [phone]
E-mail: <[email protected]> Meeting place: See NIH Calendar ofEvents E-mail: <[email protected]>
Contact 2: Bruce Cumming Contact: Ronald Abeles Contact 2: Kenneth Kirk
Phone: [phone] Phone: [phone] Phone: [phone]
E-mail: <[email protected]> E-mail: <[email protected]>
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