The mission of the National Institutes of Health is to improve the health of the American people by coordinating and supporting biomedical research into the causes, cures, and prevention of diseases. NIH is the largest sponsor of research at the University of Michigan, supporting projects in reproductive biology, gene therapy, molecular biology, arthritis research, cancer research, the epidemiology of heart and lung disease, child development, neuroscience, and many other areas.

Examples of UM projects supported by the NIH:

Michigan Center for the Environment and ChildrenÕs Health: Asthma is a serious health problem, especially among inner city children. This center will investigate the environmental and physiological mechanisms of asthma, and translate the research into neighborhood and household interventions to prevent attacks and reduce asthma-related environmental threats. The center is a partnership between the UM and community-based organizations and health care institutions in Detroit.

Cancer Vaccines: Promising avenues of cancer prevention and treatment are opening up with vaccine advances. UM researchers have successfully developed a vaccine that protects against a virus responsible for certain cancers in mice. Another research team has shown that a vaccine that will fight breast cancer and other cancers in mice can be made by injecting special immune-system cells into the patient. That technique is now entering human trials.

DNA Lab-on-Chip: Rapid, accurate, and low cost analysis of DNA is now possible with a Òlaboratory on a chipÓ that automatically analyzes DNA samples and reports the results electronically. Five years of research went into creating the glass-and-silicon chip, which is the size of a childÕs fingernail. It includes all the components for mixing DNA and reagents, separating DNA molecules by size, and determining the results with a detector. The chip is expected to be the key component in portable, low cost instruments that would broaden the application of DNA analysis in medical diagnostics, forensics, and agriculture.

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