Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
and Human Services (HHS)
October 26, 2021
None
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
NIH would like to understand how damage-associated molecules from different joint tissues activate pain neurons.
Background
Recent advances have highlighted that the different tissues and structures that collectively form a joint, including both articular (cartilage, synovium) and peri-articular (tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, fasciae, muscle and subchondral bone) components, are all involved in arthritis. Molecules released as a result of inflammation and damage in these tissues can directly activate neurites from nerves in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) that mediate pain sensation. These new findings offer the opportunity for novel approaches to treating pain by understanding how these molecules from different joint tissues activate pain neurons, focusing on the tissue components common to joints in general.
Information Requested
NIH is seeking input on promising approaches and technologies to map innervation of joint tissues and what is needed to further advance the mapping of joint innervation. The NIH seeks comments on any or all of, but not limited to, the following topics:
Mapping the innervation of the components of the joint, including
How to Submit a Response
Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to: niams_joint_pain@mail.nih.gov
To ensure consideration, responses must be submitted by: November 26, 2021. Early submissions are appreciated.
Responses to this RFI are voluntary. Do not include any proprietary, classified, confidential, trade secret, or sensitive information in your response. The responses will be reviewed by NIH staff, and individual feedback will not be provided to any responder. NIH will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any responder’s submission. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government reserves the right to use any submitted information on public NIH websites, in reports, in summaries of the state of the science, in any possible resultant solicitation(s), grant(s),or cooperative agreement(s),or in the development of future funding opportunity announcements.
This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, grant, or cooperative agreement, or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the NIH, or individual NIH Institutes and Centers to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the Government’s use of such information. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information.
Leslie K. Derr, PhD
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Telephone: (301) 594-8174
Email: leslie.derr@nih.gov
Erin Burke Quinlan, PhD
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Telephone: (301) 451-0636
Email: erin.quinlan@nih.gov
Guoying Liu, PhD
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
Telephone: (301) 594-5220
Email: liug@mail.nih.gov
Melissa Ghim, PhD
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Telephone: (301) 529-6570
Email: melissa.ghim@nih.gov
Michael L. Oshinsky, PhD
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9964
Email: michael.oshinsky@nih.gov