NORTHEAST OHIO MULTIPURPOSE ARTHRITIS CENTER

The long-term objectives of this proposal are: 1) to expand education of
health professionals, patients, families, and the general public; 2) to
develop, implement and evaluate prototype education/epidemiology/health
services research programs at a high level of scientific endeavor; and
3) to expand clinical and basic research efforts. Strong collaborative
interplays in medical sociology-oriented health services research will
represent an augmented focus of this Center. New proposed projects in
this area include studies of 1) buffers of the arthritis-disability
cascade in the old/old; and 2) caregiver well-being and physicians of
impaired elders. Four developmental and feasibility projects are
directed toward studies of 1) purification and cloning of a soluble form
of the chondrocyte interleukin-1 receptor; 2) structural/functional
domains of link protein; 3) distinctive phenotypic markers of human bone
marrow mesenchymal stem cells; and 4) molecular and cellular mechanisms
of decreased IgG galactosylation in rheumatoid arthritis. Core programs
include a Molecular Biology DNA Sequencing Core; and an Immunohisto-
chemistry Core. Administration includes administrative policy,
executive, steering (operations), community advisory, and national
external review committees to fully interdigitate
Center/University/community interface.