Predoctoral Training: Innovative Technologies for Natural Products and CAM Research

 说明(申请人提供)：天然产物在替代西药和常规西药中都扮演着重要的角色。超过30%的美国人口报告使用补充和替代医学(CAM)模式，其中包括植物天然产品。此外，在过去十年中，美国批准的所有新的小分子药物中约有50%是基于天然产品化合物的。需要训练有素的生物医学研究人员来评估用于治疗的天然产品的化学成分、活性和作用机制。这类科学调查对于制定使用天然产品改善健康和防止滥用天然产品的安全和有效战略至关重要。美国国家补充和替代医学中心(NCCAM，最近更名为NCCIH)在其2011-2015年战略计划中认识到了这一需求，其中强调了培训的重要性，这些培训是“对CAM干预措施、实践和学科进行严格的、最先进的科学调查所必需的关键生物医学和行为研究学科”。北卡罗来纳大学格林斯伯勒分校是开展此类培训的独特而理想的地点。我们的药物生物化学博士项目强调天然产品和CAM研究，我们拥有强大的教师导师网络，他们拥有相关的资助研究项目。联合国开发计划署还拥有两个支持与CAM相关的研究的成熟中心，即转化生物医学研究中心和天然产品和药物发现中心。为了利用联合国开发计划署特殊的培训环境，我们建议建立一个新的T32计划，支持五名博士前学生从事天然产品和CAM的基础科学研究。这一培训计划借鉴了联合国教科文组织丰富的多元化机构文化，将重点放在招收、保留和成功来自不同背景的学生上。我们T32计划内的培训将根据学生的个人需求进行量身定做，为那些走上学术和工业职业道路的人提供不同的机会。我们计划的一个独特元素将是应用尖端技术分析复杂植物混合物的培训。学员将利用我们卓越的核磁共振和质谱学设施，接受这一领域的实践指导。最终，我们建议的T32项目的目标是培养准备好过渡到工业或学术界独立的与CAM相关的职业的科学家。我们将利用我们在天然产品研究方面的现有专业知识和我们在CAM社区内强大的关系网来开发一个能够有效实现这一结果的计划。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Natural products play an essential role in both alternative and conventional western medicine. Over 30% of the US population reports using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities, which include botanical natural products. Furthermore, approximately 50% of all new small molecule drug approvals in the United States over the past decade were based on natural product compounds. Trained biomedical researchers are needed to evaluate the chemical composition, activity, and mechanism of action of natural products that are employed therapeutically. Such scientific investigations are critical for the development of safe and effective strategies to use natural products for the improvement of health, and to prevent their misuse. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, recently renamed NCCIH) recognizes this need in their 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, which highlights the importance of training in "key biomedical and behavioral research disciplines necessary for rigorous, state-of-the-art scientific investigation of CAM interventions, practices, and disciplines." The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) is a unique and ideal location for such training to occur. Our PhD program in Medicinal Biochemistry emphasizes natural products and CAM research, and we have a strong collaborative network of faculty mentors with relevant, funded research programs. UNCG also boasts two established centers that support research related to CAM, the Center for Translational Biomedical Research and the Natural Products and Drug Discovery Center. To take advantage of the exceptional training environment at UNCG, we propose to establish a new T32 program that will support five predoctoral students who will conduct basic science research on natural products and CAM. Drawing upon a rich institutional culture of diversity at UNCG, this training program will emphasize the recruitment, retention, and success of students from diverse backgrounds. Training within our T32 program will be tailored to fit the needs of individual students, with different opportunities provided to those on academic and industrial career paths. A unique element of our program will be training in the application of cutting-edge technologies for the analysis of complex botanical mixtures. Trainees will receive hands-on instruction in this area, making use of our exceptional NMR and mass spectrometry facilities. Ultimately, our objective with the proposed T32 program is to produce scientists ready to transition into independent CAM- related careers in industry or academia. We will leverage our preexisting expertise in natural products research and our strong web of connections within the CAM community to develop a program that can efficiently achieve this outcome.