National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Background

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), established the Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU) through a contract (N01-AI-45244) with Case Western University in 1994. The purpose of this contract was to create a multidisciplinary, international team dedicated to identifying and validating surrogate markers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and tuberculosis (TB) disease progression, to identifying the correlates of the human protective immune response to Mtb infection and to providing a collaborative infrastructure for clinical research and early stage clinical trials for drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for TB. This contract was renewed for seven years in 1999 (N01-AI-95383) and an additional seven years in 2007 (N01-AI-70022).

The TBRU represents a cornerstone in NIAID's contribution to the global fight against tuberculosis. Since the resurgence of TB in the United States during the early 1990's, NIAID has increased its funding for TB research from $3 million to $56 million in 2001, which helped establish a solid research infrastructure for TB. The TBRU contract is designed to support translation of basic research findings into tools and approaches needed for the development of better drugs, vaccines and diagnostics, advancng health care interventiosn in TB endemic countries.

Activities of TBRU

Activities are specifically directed to:

• Improving our understanding of the molecular biology and physiology of M. tuberculosis,
• Defining the host immune response to mycobacterial infection,
• Identify individuals at highest risk for progression to TB disease after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb),
• Chacterize correlates of response to therapy and vaccination that can establish useful early estimates of clinical efficacy of new health care intervention, and
• Eventually contribute to the identification of new diagnostic tests and improved therapeutic and vaccination strategies.

ATTENTION TBRU INVESTIGATORS!!

Remember to cite the TBRU contract, per required contract wording on all new manuscripts/publications.

"This project has been funded in whole or in part by the Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU), established with Federal funds from the United Sates National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases & the United States National Institutes of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN266200700022C / NO1-AI-70022"

(note to investigators - this contract number is for work as of May 1, 2007; please add the prior TBRU contract number for publications that have overlap from the prior period - thus state "Contract Nos. NO1-AI-95383 and HHSN266200700022C / NO1-AI-70022")

Contact:

Christine F. Sizemore, Ph.D.
NIH/NIAID / DMID
Program Officer for Tuberculosis, Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases
Respiratory Diseases Branch, DMID
6610 Rockledge Dr.,Room 5041
Mail Stop 6603
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: 301-496-5305 (direct: 301-435-2857)
FAX: 301-496-8030
E-mail: csizemore@niaid.nih.gov
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/