NOT-NS-01-006: GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC SPINAL CORD INJURY

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC SPINAL 
CORD INJURY

Release Date:  February 16, 2001

NOTICE:  NOT-NS-01-006

NATIONAL INSTITUE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP):  NIH-NINDS-01-03

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH 
announces the availability of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to support gene 
expression profiling in the nervous system following traumatic spinal cord 
injury (SCI).  

Research on animal models of SCI have provided insights into the complexity of 
the injury, the many stages of cellular damage and recovery, and the complexity 
of approaches that will be necessary to address treatment and rehabilitation.  
Research efforts will employ neural tissue-specific and/or species-specific 
reagents and contemporary high throughput methodologies to quantify expression 
profiles of genes in acute and chronic phases of SCI.  Changes in expression 
will be characterized at the injury site as well as in areas of the cord rostral 
and caudal to the lesion site.  In addition, regions of brain that represent 
areas that project to or receive input from the spinal cord will be evaluated 
for alterations in gene expression. The injury paradigm will utilize 
well-characterized and justified rodent models of spinal cord trauma.  Since the 
areas sampled are complex structures, patterns of expression of specific genes 
will be characterized on a cellular/tissue level.  Analysis of the multitudes of 
altered proteins after injury is a daunting task. Up until now, investigators 
have studied particular molecules (i.e., GAP-43, NOGO) or classes of proteins 
(i.e., cytoskeletal proteins, trophic factors) in the hope of finding evidence 
for involvement in either regenerative or inhibitory responses.  The development 
of new technologies to screen large numbers of genes (or specific sequences) for 
expression after injury may focus the search for the critical elements.  
Obviously, a complex condition such as SCI has critical temporal and anatomic 
parameters.  Prevention of outgrowth may occur at the injured axon tip or at the 
cell body.  Negative or positive factors are likely expressed from the time of 
the injury through several stages of recovery and stabilization.  Therefore, 
analysis should include comparative time frames after trauma, and various parts 
of the neuroaxis that may react differently to the injury, regeneration or 
stabilization phases.  The purpose of this BAA is to utilize new gene screening 
processes in order to determine temporal and regional changes in expression of a 
large number of genes following traumatic SCI.  From this data, certain 
specified genes will be subsequently analyzed for post-injury changes in 
patterns and localization of their expression.  This two-step process will allow 
for a large scale screening of potential genes that are changed after SCI as 
well as a more focused study of genes that are determined to be important to 
injury and potential regenerative processes.  High throughput data obtained from 
these experiments will become part of a public database for dissemination to the 
scientific community.  

Prospective offerors are expected to have personnel resources adequate to 
conduct the proposed research with expertise in the following areas:  SCI animal 
models and basic research, molecular genetics, array technology, and 
bioinformatics.  Prospective offerors are also expected to have access to 
facilities (either on-site or through collaborative relationships) adequate to 
conduct the research such as:  DNA microarray or other gene expression 
research facilities.  

It is anticipated that one (1) cost-reimbursement type contracts may be awarded 
for a maximum period of up to three years.  BAA/Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 
NIH-NINDS-01-03 will be AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY and may be downloaded at URL 
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/funding_announcements/RFP_all.htm on or about March 1, 2001.  
This solicitation will be issued in electronic format only.  Proposals will be 
due on or about May 10, 2001.  The exact proposal receipt date will be specified 
in the solicitation.  OFFERORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROUTINELY CHECKING THIS 
WEBSITE FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOLICITATION AMENDMENTS THAT MAY BE ISSUED.  NO 
INDIVIDUAL NOTIFICATION OF ANY AMENDMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED.  This advertisement 
does not commit the Government to award a contract. All responsible sources may 
submit a proposal, which will be considered by the agency.  See Note 26.  *****

Inquiries may be directed to:

Laurie A. Leonard, Contracting Officer
Contracts Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Neuroscience Center, Room 3287
6001 Executive Boulevard, MSC 9531
Bethesda, MD  20892-9531
Tel:  (301) 496-1813
Fax:  (301) 402-4225
Email:  [email protected]
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