GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

这是Lowell P.Weicker Jr.的竞争性续签申请。综合临床研究中心(GCRC)，于1993年12月在康涅狄格大学健康中心(UCHC)成立。在最初的四年里，GCRC作为一个中心门诊设施已经有了很大的发展。虽然我们90%以上的研究是在门诊患者身上进行的，但住院研究是在指定的内科外科单元或专门单元的床位上进行的，例如布恩骨髓移植单元或UCHC成人和新生儿重症监护单元。这次续签申请包含37项研究协议，而最初的申请有23项。这项应用的重点仍然是涉及基础科学家和临床研究人员之间的互动的研究，特别是在将分子生物学和人类遗传学的新方法应用于疾病发病机制研究方面。这一更新申请中的方案涵盖范围广泛，包括1)酒精和药物滥用、2)骨质疏松症和代谢性骨骼疾病、3)与艾滋病毒有关的神经学变化、4)扁虱传播感染的神经学并发症、5)精神分裂症的遗传学、6)心力衰竭的发病机制、7)癌症和硬皮病的免疫疗法、8)前列腺炎的发病机制、9)骨干燥综合征的口腔粘膜炎。GCRC已经成为一个主要的培训中心。GCRC的工作人员已经开发了一门关于临床研究方法的入门课程，并为新的学生提供选修课。UCHC继续作出重大承诺，通过为基础设施提供资金来支持GCRC。此外，当局已提供额外空间，以便扩建我们的设施。GCRC在临床研究活动和生产力方面显示出持续增长。这项拟议的研究应该会增强我们对发病机制的理解，并提高我们治疗影响大量美国人的疾病的能力。

This is a competitive renewal application for the Lowell P. Weicker Jr. General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), which was established at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) in December, 1993. During its initial four years, the GCRC has grown substantially as a central outpatient facility. While over 90% of our studies are with outpatients, inpatient studies have been carried out using beds on a designated medical-surgical unit or a specialized unit, such as the Boone Marrow Transplant Unit or the Adult and Neonatal Intensive Care Units of UCHC.. This renewal application contains 37 research protocols, compared to 23 in the initial application. The emphasis in this application continued to be on studies involving interactions between basic scientists and clinical investigators, particular in the application of new methods of molecular biology and human genetics to the study of the pathogenesis of disease. The protocols in this renewal application cover a wide range, including studies on 1) alcohol and substance abuse, 2) osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease, 3) neurologic changes associated with HIV, 4) neurologic complications of tick-borne infections, 5) genetics of schizophrenia, 6) pathogenesis of heart failure, 7) immunotherapy for cancer and scleroderma, 8) pathogenesis of prostatitis, 9) oral mucositis in bone Sjogren's syndrome. The GCRC has become a major center for training. GCRC staff have developed an introductory course on methods of clinical research and offered new student electives. UCHC continues to make a substantial commitment to support the GCRC by providing funding for infrastructure. Moreover, additional space has been provided to allow for expansion of our facilities. The GCRC has shown continuous growth in clinical research activity and productivity. The proposed research should enhance our understanding of pathogenesis and increase our ability to treat conditions which affect large numbers of Americans.