GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. This application seeks continuing support for 5 years for the Frederic C. Bartter General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), located in the South Texas Veterans Health Care System-Audie L. Murphy Division (STVHCS-AMD), a major teaching hospital for The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). The GCRC has operated with a successful sharing agreement between the UTHSCSA and STVHCS since 1982. It will continue to be the central facility for the conduct of patient oriented clinical research for UTHSCSA faculty. The GCRC currently consists of 18 beds supported by nurses, dietitians, laboratory technicians, computing infrastructure, and administrative staff to meet the clinical research needs of UTHSCSA investigators. The GCRC's primary objective is to provide a safe, secure environment where faculty may work with human research volunteers to conduct investigations aimed at increasing the knowledge of disease pathophysiology, and improving the diagnosis and management of human disease. Over the past 5 years, the GCRC led the efforts to establish 3 new exciting programs. First, the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Degree Program, supported by a Clinical Research Curriculum Award, was initiated in 2001 and provides an institutional resource for clinical research training for students, fellows, and junior faculty. Second, in collaboration with the UTHSCSA Research Imaging Center, an Imaging Core was established in 2002. Third, collaborating with the UTHSCSA Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, a Biostatistics and Informatics Core will be established in 2003. The GCRC continues to evolve as a UTHSCSA resource supporting protocols from the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Allied Health, and Nursing. The multidisciplinary strengths of the GCRC are demonstrated in the 102 protocols included in this application (73 active and 29 approved but pending activation) developed by 48 investigators and representing 23 different content areas. The range of GCRC supported investigations includes: phase I studies of novel treatments of malignancy; the pathophysiology of diabetes; genetic investigations of heart disease and diabetes; the epidemiology of disability, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus; control of skin blood flow; effects of alternative medicines; and participation in national multi-center studies of tuberculosis therapy, diabetes prevention, and insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.