DIRECTOR, USAMRAA, 820 CHANDLER ST, FORT DETRICK MD 21702-5014

A -- GULF WAR ILLNESSES RESEARCH: INNOVATIVE BIOLOGICALLY-BASED TOXICOLOGY METHODS & MODELS FOR ASSESSING MIXED CHEMICAL EXPOSURES WITH POTENTIAL NEURO- TOXICOLOGICAL & OTHER HEALTH EFFECTS SOL 074&&&-9902-0002 POC Craig D. Lebo, Contracting Officer (Site Code DAMD17) E-MAIL: dolores_king@amedd.army.mil, dolores_king@amedd.army.mil. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command is soliciting proposals for studies on innovative biologically-based toxicological methods and models. These toxicological methods and models will lead to the development of simple and effective methods to assess exposures of deployed military personnel to non-threat agent toxic chemicals and chemical mixtures, including those chemicals and mixtures which were a concern during the Gulf War. An important aspect of force health protection is the protection of deployed personnel from toxic and hazardous chemicals and complex chemical mixtures. Potential health effects from such exposures exist across the entire range of deployment missions. Deployed personnel may be exposed to toxic chemicals and chemical mixtures from a variety of industrial and agricultural sources. Questions arising from Operation Desert Shield/Storm (ODSS) about the potential health effects (i.e., illnesses among Gulf War veterans) from toxic chemical exposures illustrate the need for effective methods to assess chemical exposures and their health effects in future deployments. Classical toxicological methods are of limited value in assessing chemical exposures of deployed personnel because of difficulties in providing analytical chemical analyses in the deployment environment and the fact that deployed personnel may be exposed to complex chemical mixtures. The intent of this research effort is to develop biologically relevant, reliable, and rapid methods and models that will lead to biologically-based detectors and monitors that can be used in health risk assessment. This approach focuses on the effects of the chemical exposure on the organism rather than the identification of the chemical(s). This research program should include studies which (1) identify biomarkers and/or behavioral indicators (generic and specific) of exposure, effect, and susceptibility for classes of toxic chemicals which were of concern after ODSS (e.g., neurotoxins, oxidative stressors, reproductive toxins, and immunotoxins); and (2) development of mechanistically-based alternative methods and models for rapid assessment of human exposures to toxic industrial and agricultural chemicals and chemical mixtures. The biomarkers identified through this research will be used for biomonitoring of service members pre-, during and post-deployment and incorporated into epidemiologic surveillance and risk assessment systems. Mechanistically- based alternative methods and models will be incorporated into systems to rapidly identify and assess toxic exposures in environmental media during deployments. Proposals must provide a clear justification and military relevance for the choice of biomarkers or bioassay approaches selected and should provide preliminary data. Collaboration with DoD medical researchers of the Service toxicology research laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB and Fort Detrick, Maryland, is encouraged and will be considered in the selection of awards. More information about DoD In-House Research Development Testing and Evaluation programs and contact points can be found at http://www.ihreport.com/. Proposals should represent individual research proposals (NIH "RO1"-type grants) and are expected to average $200K per year for up to four years of support; no proposal award will exceed $1M in total funding. A total of approximately $4M per year is available for the portfolio of projects to be funded under in topic. Proposals must be submitted according to general instructions contained in the Broad Agency Announcement 99-1 (see http://www-usamraa.army.mil). The specifics of this program announcement define both the requirement and amount of funding support envisioned, accordingly preproposals (as defined in BAA 99-1) are not necessary nor encouraged. Full proposals are due by 4:00 pm EST, Wednesday, 21 April 1999. Proposals which are not responsive to the solicitation will not be reviewed. Investigators will be notified about funding recommendations approximately 90 days after the closing date. Send proposals to: Commander, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, ATTN: MCMR-AAA (GWI99), 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5014. Posted 02/10/99 (A-SN296815). (0041)

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