Concepts represent early planning stages for program announcements, requests for applications, notices of special interest, or solicitations for Council's input. Concepts reveal possible initiatives or give you ideas for an investigator-initiated application.
Analyzing Early Events in Tuberculosis (TB) and TB/HIV Infection To Identify Interventional Targets
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2024 initiative
Objective: Early events associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection are not well understood. However, studies delineating the initial stage of Mtb infection may identify unique targets for more effective vaccine adjuvants and immunomodulators, as well as improved biomarkers to advance prevention and therapy of TB. The objectives of this initiative are to better understand how Mtb evades and disrupts host immunity at the earliest stages of infection, and how myeloid (macrophages, dendritic cells, eosinophils), lymphoid (T cells, B cells, innate lymphoid cells) and non-immune cells (alveolar epithelial cells, pneumocytes, vascular) in the airway and lung interact with Mtb and each other. Furthermore, delineating the effects of HIV co-infection on immune mechanisms during early Mtb infection will facilitate the development of effective immune-based interventions for people living with HIV.
Contact:
Robert Mahon
robert.mahon@nih.gov
Consortium for Design of TB Drug Regimens
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2024 initiative
Objective: To establish a consortium of tuberculosis (TB) preclinical and clinical experts to systematically refine preclinical models with clinical data and identify the most efficacious combination regimens for future clinical testing to optimize relapse-free TB treatment.
Contact:
Barbara Laughon
blaughon@mail.nih.gov
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Quality Assessment (TBQA) Program
Request for Proposals—proposed FY 2024 initiative
Objective: TBQA will 1) support the ability of laboratories to reliably perform study-specified Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) tests; 2) evaluate Mtb technologies and specimen processes for use in clinical investigations; 3) disseminate technical and scientific data; 4) perform late-stage assay validation and/or Mtb assay testing of clinical samples in a CLIA-certified laboratory (Option); and 5) support public health emergency needs (Option). The TBQA will serve NIAID-sponsored and collaborating clinical trial networks and cohorts as well as individual grantees conducting research in and outside the United States. Examples of NIAID-sponsored Networks include the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the International Maternal Pediatric and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT), and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). Examples of NIAID-sponsored TB cohorts include the India and Brazil Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis (RePORT).
Contact:
Isaac Elliott
isaac.elliott@nih.gov
You can find more information here