Northeast Biodefense Center

描述（由申请人提供）：美国东北部极易受到新发传染病和恐怖主义的影响。随着西尼罗河病毒的爆发、世贸中心的悲剧和随后的炭疽袭击，第二区有经验和决心调动其在生物医学研究方面的丰富资源，推进国家的生物防御议程。第二区域机构将建立一个区域卓越中心（RCE），用于生物防御和新发传染病研究。该财团名为东北生物防御中心（NBC），将由纽约、新泽西、康涅狄格、马萨诸塞州和波多黎各超过25个学术和研究机构的研究人员组成。全国广播公司将与州、联邦和地方政府机构和实验室，以及生物技术和制药公司保持密切联系。主要的基础和转化研究项目将在六个主题领域进行：1)b细胞相关预防和治疗；2)细菌发病机制与治疗；3)疫苗平台；4)病毒发病机制与治疗；5)天花疫苗：临床、免疫和病毒结局；6)病原检测与诊断。这些项目将与信息学、蛋白质组学、蛋白质表达、单克隆抗体、动物模型以及管理方面的核心提供支持。每个研究项目将整合和加强几位有成就的研究人员的工作，并将重点放在选定的病原体和毒素上，包括炭疽芽孢杆菌、鼠疫耶尔森氏菌、土拉弗朗西斯菌、马氏伯克氏菌、肠毒素B葡萄球菌、痘病毒和引起出血热或脑炎的病毒。由于该地区人畜共患疾病的重要性，NBC成员的专业知识，以及获得梅岛动物疾病中心和比较医学研究人员和临床医生网络等独特资源，将强调人畜共患疾病。将建立简化的技术转让程序，以促进向工业提供疫苗、疗法和诊断方法。国家疫苗控制中心的转译部门已开始对天花疫苗接种进行研究，并将发展该地区的人体疫苗试验基础设施。将建立培训计划，通过支持新的研究人员、高级研究人员和支持人员来促进生物防御研究目标。已经制定了一项应急计划，以便迅速调整国家生物防御中心的活动，并在发生生物防御紧急情况时向第一线反应人员提供设施，包括核心和科学支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The northeastern United States is highly vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases and terrorism. With the outbreak of West Nile virus, the World Trade Center tragedy, and subsequent anthrax attacks, Region II has the experience and resolve to mobilize its rich resources in biomedical research to advance the nation's biodefense agenda. Region II institutions will establish a Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research. This consortium, the Northeast Biodefense Center (NBC), will comprise investigators at more than 25 academic and research institutions in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico. The NBC will have strong links to state, federal and local government agencies and laboratories, as well as biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Major basic and translational research programs will be pursued in six thematic areas: 1) B-Cell Related Prophylaxis and Therapeutics; 2) Bacterial Pathogenesis and Therapeutics; 3) Vaccine Platforms; 4) Viral Pathogenesis and Therapeutics; 5) Smallpox Vaccine: Clinical, Immune, and Viral Outcomes; 6) Pathogen Detection and Diagnostics. These programs will intersect with cores that provide support in Informatics, Proteomics, Protein Expression, Monoclonal Antibodies, Animal Models, as well as Administration. Each research program will integrate and intensify the work of several accomplished investigators and will focus on select agents and toxins including Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia mallei, Staphylococcus enterotoxin B, pox viruses, and viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever or encephalitis. Zoonotic diseases will be emphasized due to significance in this region, expertise of NBC members, and access to unique resources such as Plum Island Animal Disease Center and networks of investigators and clinicians in comparative medicine. Streamlined technology transfer procedures will be established to facilitate delivery to industry of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The translational arm of the NBC has begun with a study of smallpox vaccination and will develop the region's infrastructure for human vaccine trials. Training programs will be established to promote biodefense research objectives by supporting new investigators, senior investigators, and support personnel. An emergency response plan has been developed to rapidly realign the NBC's activities and provide facilities, including cores and scientific support, to first line responders in the event of a biodefense emergency.