KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences Primary Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control Deadline: 4/1/2001; 8/1/2001; 12/1/2001 KEYWORDS Coronary Heart Disease The development of a laboratory technology to standardize and improve the quality and reliability of laboratory tests for cholesterol and other metabolically related lipids and lipoproteins that are known risk factors associated with coronary heart disease is an area in which the SBIR program may be able to contribute to the improvement of diagnostic techniques. Specifically, development and characterization of improved serum reference materials that can be used by NCEH to standardize laboratories that conduct epidemiological and lipid research and clinical trials into the causes and prevention of coronary heart disease. Cystic Fibrosis and Medium Chain Acyl Dehydrogenase Deficiency The development of DNA-based materials containing the pertinent mutations for the screening of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Medium Chain Acyl Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCAD) from newborn dried blood spot specimens. The materials should be in the form of blood dried into an FDA-approved filter paper blood collection device. The materials should provide the appropriate DNA sequences that will respond to mutation analysis methods such as DNA amplification by PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and nucleotide sequencing. This technology will help to standardize and improve the quality and reliability of laboratory tests that are used to screen for CF and MCAD at birth. Currently, there is no commercial source available for the DNA-based materials for these disorders. Tests for Type 1 Diabetes Associated Autoantibodies There is a need for development of rapid, reliable, inexpensive screening tests for autoantibodies associated with Type 1 Diabetes. The availability of such tests, which could be used in physician’s offices, health clinics, and other diabetes screening settings, would greatly enhance the early detection and intervention of Type 1 diabetes. Currently available methods for Type 1 Diabetes autoantibodies are time consuming and expensive, and are typically based upon radioimmuno assays. Interest is in developing assays which are simple to perform in low-tech settings and would include (but not be limited to) the following: 1) insulin autoantibody (IAA), 2) glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and 3) Islet cell antibodies including cytoplasmic islet cell antibody [ICA] 512. Enhancement of Blood Glucose Meters to Improve Management of Diabetes Individuals with diabetes currently use blood glucose meters to monitor short-term therapy effectiveness. However, a blood glucose measurement is simply the endpoint of a complex interplay of diet, medication, and physical activity. In order for the health care provider and the individual to make the best decisions regarding diabetes management, it is important to record all relevant data, particularly dietary intake and medication history data, affecting the fluctuation of blood glucose. This project is for development of a hand-held device to facilitate optimal diabetes management. Improvements of the handheld device over current blood glucose meters would include the capabilities to convert food intake data into ADA diabetic exchanges and relevant therapeutic information entered by the patient such as medication and physical activity history. The device would promote better management of diabetes by facilitating compliance with diet therapy, allowing the individual to quickly record relevant factors affecting diabetes management, and the inclusion of measurement of blood glucose levels. Rapid Field Tests for Vitamin A Status There is a need for the development of rapid, rugged field portable, and economical techniques for determining vitamin A status in finger stick or ear-lobe blood samples collected by microcapillary-techniques or on filter paper. Methods may be based on fluorescence, optical density, or any other technique that reliably estimates vitamin A status in humans, but it should correlate to widely accepted "reference" methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Such methods would be highly valuable in global efforts to eliminate vitamin A deficiency, a high priority for WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and many other international agencies. Vitamin A deficiency is a devastating problem especially in developing countries where it contributes significantly to childhood morbidity and mortality, and is a leading cause of blindness in many parts of the world. Rapid Field Tests for Iodine Levels in Urine and Salt Iodine deficiency is a global problem affecting millions of people, leading to reduced population IQ, cretinism, goiter, and contributing to thyroid cancer. To facilitate efforts to eliminate this problem, rapid, simple, and inexpensive tests are needed that can determine the concentration of iodine in urine for population screening work, and that can determine the concentration of iodine in salt samples for quality control purposes in iodized salt production. While field tests for iodized salt have been developed in recent years, they have proven to be inaccurate and unreliable. Tests for urinary iodine typically have required complicated laboratory procedures. Simple, reliable measures for field use would be a great help. Rapid Field Tests or Continuous Monitors for Arsenic in Drinking Water Drinking water with toxic levels of naturally occurring arsenic obtained from shallow wells is a serious problem in many parts of the world. Recently, this problem has become especially acute in rural areas of the underdeveloped world because of efforts to improve drinking water sources that unfortunately did not fully consider natural sources of arsenic. The solution requires deep wells, or water treatment at the point of use. However, because of uncertainty about the level of arsenic in water from these improved sources, and because of the need to give attention to the most heavily contaminated existing shallow wells first, there is a need to develop rapid, reliable, and cost effective tests or monitors for water arsenic. Rapid Field Tests for Iron Deficiency, Iron Deficiency Anemia, and Hemochromatosis Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are serious problems throughout the developing world and in many high-risk groups in developed countries, including the United States. These problems negatively impact societies by reducing work capacity, impairing mental development and learning, and increasing morbidity and mortality, especially women of child bearing age and young children. Conversely, persons with elevated iron stores (a condition known as hemochromatosis) are at increased risk of serious health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and severe liver problems. There is a need to develop simple, reliable, easy to operate, and cost effective methods for screening for these conditions in populations and for managing individuals receiving intervention treatments. Techniques or devices which are non-invasive or minimally invasive would be most desirable. Improved Tests for Zinc Status and Zinc Body Stores in Humans The essential element zinc has been shown to be extremely important in human health. Recently it has been especially important as a co-factor in efforts to combat iron deficiency and vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. There is a need to develop simple, reliable, easy to operate, and cost effective methods for screening for zinc deficiency in populations and for managing individuals receiving intervention treatments. There is also a need for improved approaches to assessing zinc body stores. Environmental Health/Anti-Chemical Terrorism There is a need to develop rapid, reliable, field rugged methods for detection and quantitative estimation of human exposure to environmental contaminants and toxic chemical-based weapons of mass destruction or terrorism. Such methods must be able to sense the presence or absence of such substances quickly and reliably, and provide some estimation of concentration in human urine, saliva, breath, blood, or transpired through the skin. Improving Assessment of Children's Exposure to Toxic Substances Children tend to be more susceptible to toxic substances than adults because of a variety of differences related to physical and functional characteristics. It is imperative that exposure of children to toxic substances be minimized or eliminated since exposures could result in subtle effects upon children's growth, maturation, and health. Children are generally at greater risk than adults for exposure to environmental pollutants from inhalation because they have a higher respiratory rate; from dermal exposure because they have more exposed surface area; and from ingestion because they have a tendency to play in and eat dirt. In order to address children's exposures, the following rapid response technology is needed: Development of an "environmental sensor" that would detect concentration levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates at threshold levels that would be harmful to small children. Development of a "soil tester" that would determine the concentration level of various trace metals and other environmental pollutants that might concentrate in soil, where children are likely to play. For additional information on research topics, contact: Gregg Leeman Office of the Director National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mail Stop F29 4770 Buford Highway, NE Atlanta, GA 30341-3724 (770) 488-7268; Fax: (770) 488-4178 For administrative and business information, contact: Joanne Wojcik Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Procurement and Grants Office Mail Stop E13 2920 Brandywine Road Atlanta, Georgia 30341 (770) 488-2717; Fax: (770)488-2777 Email: jcw6@cdc.gov NOTE: The Solicitations listed on this site are partial copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should always use the suggested links on our reference pages. These will take you directly to the appropriate agency information where you can read the official version of the solicitation you are interested in. The official link for this page is: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm. Solicitation closing dates are: April 1, August 1, and December 1, 2001