CENTER FOR NEUROANATOMY WITH NEUROTROPIC VIRUSES: COMPARATIVE MEDICINE

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。关于艾滋病描述（由申请人提供）：在过去的十年中，使用病毒来定义神经元回路的突触组织经历了爆炸式的增长。这种实验方法是最广泛使用的方法，为神经系统的功能结构提供了多突触的视角。因此，它已被证明在神经科学家中越来越受欢迎，他们的目标是定义致力于特定功能的神经元群体的整体组织。这项申请的目标是建立一个最先进的国家资源中心，该中心将a)为那些对使用病毒跨神经元追踪感兴趣的人提供技术和智力资源，b)开发改进的跨神经元追踪技术，并通过访问中心资源和培训使其可供美国各地的研究人员使用，c)作为对该方法应用至关重要的表征良好的试剂的存储库。d)促进对病毒神经侵袭和发病机制的多学科合作研究。我们建立这个国家资源中心的努力基于五个基本原则。首先，人们普遍认为，该方法为神经回路的功能解剖提供了一种强大的手段，但实施该程序是一项昂贵的努力，超出了大多数研究人员的能力范围。其次，最近的文献清楚地表明，有一些有价值和重要的途径可以用来改进这项技术。中心将提供必要的资源和重点，以激励这项技术的发展，并使其得到更广泛的利用。第三，历史上有先例表明，这一领域的多学科研究迅速推进了对多个领域基本原理的理解。中心将为发展这种互动提供重点和平台。第四，匹兹堡大学是数量惊人的研究者的家园，他们在这种方法的发展和应用方面具有影响力，并且与其他具有类似影响力的杰出研究者有着富有成效的合作关系。因此，该中心将在较短的时间内建立并取得成功。第五，匹兹堡大学已经有特殊设施，可以满足在多种物种（包括非人灵长类动物）中使用α疱疹病毒和狂犬病毒的独特要求。总的来说，这些观察结果支持这样一个结论，即在匹兹堡大学建立一个中心将提供一个独特的国家资源，这将大大有助于提高我们对神经系统功能和组织的理解。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Regarding AIDS DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The use of viruses to define the synaptic organization of neuronal circuitry has experienced an explosive growth over the past decade. This experimental approach is the most widely used method to provide a polysynaptic perspective on the functional architecture of the nervous system. Consequently, it has proven to be increasingly popular among neuroscientists whose goal is to define ensemble organization of populations of neurons devoted to specific functions. The goal of this application is to establish a state of the art National Resource Center that will a) serve as a technical and intellectual resource for those interested in using viral transneuronal tracing, b) develop improved transneuronal tracing technologies and make them available to investigators throughout the United States via access to center resources and training, c) serve as a repository for well-characterized reagents essential to the application of the method, and d) stimulate collaborative multidisciplinary studies of mechanisms underlying viral neuroinvasiveness and pathogenesis. Our efforts to establish this National Resource Center are based upon five fundamental tenets. First, there is a general consensus that the method offers a powerful means for functional dissection of neural circuitry, but implementation of the procedures is a costly endeavor beyond the reach of most investigators. Second, recent literature clearly demonstrates that there are valuable and important avenues that can be pursued to improve this technology. A Center would provide the necessary resources and focus to energize this technology development and make it more widely available. Third, there is historical precedent demonstrating that multidisciplinary research in this area rapidly advances the understanding of fundamental principles in multiple fields. A Center would provide the focus and platform for developing such interactions. Fourth, the University of Pittsburgh is the home for a surprising number of investigators who have been influential in the development and application of this methodology and also have productive collaborative relations with other prominent investigators who have been similarly influential. Thus, the Center would be established and successful within a relatively short period of time. Fifth, special facilities already exist at the University of Pittsburgh that meet the unique requirements for the use of alpha herpesviruses and rabies virus in multiple species, including non-human primates. Collectively, these observations support the conclusion that establishment of a Center at the University of Pittsburgh will provide a unique National Resource that will contribute substantially to efforts to improve our understanding of nervous system function and organization.