Animal care: supporting research on pathogenesis and treatment of autoimmunity

National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases

Investigators

Abstract

The NIAMS IRP Animal Program has oversight for 25 Animal Study Proposals (ASPs) using mouse, rat, fish, and rabbit models. At NIAMS, there is a great deal of research around arthritis, recombination/chromatin remodeling using AID transgenic mice, familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and Tnf receptor associated periodic syndrome. There is also a great deal of research involving muscle and related diseases (experimentation with: N-RAP protein, glycogen storage disease Type II, SIRT1 gene, myofibril assembly, myositis including drug induced, and the voice generating muscle in Midshipman fish) and the study of sub-cellular organelles and cytoskeleton in skeletal muscle. Studies at NIAMS also include in vitro experiments studying retroviral transduction, bone marrow transplantation, and epidermal differentiation studies using fetal and adult skin tissues. Research involving allergic rhinitis and other transmit receptor-induced cellular responses is conducted at the institute. Many of the institutes studies involve apoptosis and autoimmunity. Also of interest within NIAMS are cartilage studies focused on tissue-engineered cartilage, chondrogenesis, GDF-F, COMP and osteoarthritis.