Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle):

Lernmark, Åke

 

DESCRIPTION:  State the application’s broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health relatedness of the project.  Describe concisely the research design and methods for achieving these goals. Avoid summaries of past accomplishments and the use of the first person.  This abstract is meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when separated from the application.  If the application is funded, this description, as is, will become public information. Therefore, do not include proprietary/confidential information.  DO NOT EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED.

 

 Understanding of the mechanisms by which T1D develops is critical to prediction, prevention and cure.  The spontaneously diabetic BB rat is particularly well suited for this task.  In contrast to the complexity of human and NOD mouse T1D, onset in the BB rat is limited to five genes; the MHC on chromosome 20 (Iddm1), lyp (Ian5) (iddm2) on chromosome 4 and three susceptibility factors on chromosomes 2 (Iddm3), 4 (Iddm4) and 15 (Iddm19).  Our discovery in 2002 of the frameshift mutation in Ian5 (IAN4L1) that results in lymphopenia uncovered a previously unknown family of Ian genes that appear to regulate apoptosis. This program project represents three highly interactive laboratories (Seattle and Milwaukee) and one administrative core (Seattle); Project 1: Åke Lernmark will collaborate with Projects 2 and 3 to test the hypotheses that a) coordinate expression of the Ian family controls lymphocyte differentiation and maturation to generate autoreactive T cells and b) identify and characterize the three genetic factors Iddm3, Iddm4 and iddm19 that confer diabetes risk. Project 2: Hartmut Weiler and Michael Michalkiewicz will collaborate with Projects 1 and 3 by (a) completing the mouse knockout (KO) of Ian5, Ian4 alone and in combination to recapitulate the diabetogenic phenotype in the mouse; (b) rescuing the expression of Ian genes in transgenic rats and (c) establish Ian anti-apoptopic activity in rat and mouse transgenic animals. Project 3: Anne Kwitek and Marty Hessner will use genomic and microarray technologies to facilitate identification of chromosome 2,15 and 4 T1D susceptibility factors in collaboration with Project 1 and 2.  Our research interactions are well established and shared resources will include BB, F344 and congenic rats (Project 1), congenic lines of mice with homologous recombination of Ian genes and rat transgenic rescue of lymphopenia (Project 2), high throughput genotyping for speed congenic lines (Projects 1 and 3), microarray analysis (Project 3), quantitative RT-PCR (Project 1) and virtual mapping between human, mouse, and rat (Project 3).

 

PERFORMANCE SITE(S)  (organization, city, state)

 

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin/Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

KEY PERSONNEL.  See instructions.  Use continuation pages as needed to provide the required information in the format shown below.

Start with Principal Investigator. List all other key personnel in alphabetical order, last name first.

Name

Organization

Role on Project

Åke Lernmark, Ph.D.

University of Washington

Project Director

Anne Kwitek, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Project Co-Director

Harmut Weiler, Ph.D.

The Blood Center of SE Wisconsin

Project Leader

     

     

     

Michael Michalkiewicz, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Project Co-Leader     

Ruth Ettinger, Ph.D.

University of Washington

Co-Investigator

Daniel Moralejo, Ph.D.

University of Washington

Co-Investigator

Martin Hessner, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Project Co-Leader

Jack Gorski, Ph.D.

The Blood Center of SE Wisconsin

Co-Investigator

Howard Jacob, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Collaborator

Eric S. Lander, Ph.D.

Broad Institute, MIT

Consultant

Disclosure Permission Statement.  Applicable to SBIR/STTR Only.  See instructions.   Yes    No

PHS 398 (Rev. 05/01)         Page 2         Number pages consecutively at the bottom throughout    Form Page 2
                                 
the application. Do not use suffixes such as 2a, 2b.