Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue Biology Training Grant at Dartmouth Medical School
Arthritis and related connective tissue disorders are among the most common diseases seen in adults, and have been identified as major causes of significant pain, functional limitation, and disability. As a group of diseases, they affect both young and old, but their increased frequency with aging has enhanced their clinical relevance given the current population demographics of the United States. Moreover, some of these diseases, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and psoriasis, can be described as non-malignant proliferative disorders which share many biochemical and cellular parallels with cancer, another disease whose incidence increases markedly with aging. In addition, insights into the basic insights of these disorders has led to enormous advances in therapeutics exemplified by the widespread use of TNF antagonists in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis as well as other inflammatory disorders. The Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue Biology Training Grant at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) reflects the excellence, maturation, and development of its accomplished Program Faculty since its inception in 1993.
Many rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are characterized by a strong autoimmune component, while diseases like scleroderma clearly demonstrate the link between autoimmunity and disordered connective tissue biology. In addition, it is clear that a component of the inflammatory response involves changes in tissue oxygen tension, altered vascularity/endothelial cell function and the perception of pain. Thus, an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms controlling both the immune response and the biochemistry and molecular biology of cellular functions impacts directly on our understanding of connective tissue diseases. The training of excellent young investigators who are knowledgeable in this important area of biomedical research is the central mission of this application.
The Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue Biology Program Faculty has documented experience in the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (219 in the last 10 years), with vigorous and competitive research programs (~ $13 million in annual direct costs only counting individual research grants), and have developed a series of courses and seminars that critically address fundamental mechanisms involved the immunology, biochemistry and molecular genetics of connective tissue metabolism. Perhaps most important, this Program Faculty has demonstrated a distinguished training record (100% of our first 11 postdoctoral trainees remain in research, 7/11 as independently funded Assistant Professors) for its pre- and post-doctoral trainees overall as well as in the very short period of NIAMS Training Grant support. The Program Faculty of (15 trainers) has continued to evolve, adding 4 new trainers over the past 4 years.
This talented group of scientists recruits highly competent and motivated students and postdoctoral fellows and to provide them with first rate training for competitive careers in which they will make major contributions to the biomedical science of arthritis and related disorders. We plan to continue to recruit outstanding postdoctoral students. With the continued growth in predoctoral students at the Dartmouth Medical School, we also propose to expand our use of NIAMS training grant support for the recruitment and development of excellent predoctoral (Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D.) students to the high-quality laboratories interested in autoimmunity and connective tissue metabolism. Through this mechanism, we plan to build upon our success in recruiting future M.D./Ph.D. students into a research program with direct relevance to a clinical discipline. Moreover, such an experience will also enhance the likelihood of such a student becoming a physician-scientist whose clinical interest is in autoimmune and rheumatologic diseases.
