R.E.S.C.I.N.D.

.... One of the strongest assets we have as an Institute is being a part of the National Institutes of Health. We share a common goal and commitment - improving the health of the American people - and we work together toward that end. Very frequently you will hear about diseases that are supported by many different institutes. For example, research on osteoporosis is supported by some 14 different components of the NIH. Such an approach is not duplicative, but complementary. We all approach our studies from a different perspective, but the goal is improved understanding of and strategies to reduce osteoporosis. With complex diseases like fibromyalgia, we often take a multi-pronged approach. We support basic studies in understanding the disease process and the troubling symptoms that people with fibromyalgia experience. We support innovative scientific workshops (as we did in July 1996) to enable basic researchers who never heard of fibromyalgia, but are conducting the latest research on sleep disorders or pain, to talk to clinicians who see patients with fibromyalgia every day, but are stymied in how to improve their lives. We then consider the recommendations from such a workshop and develop and implement strategies based on these recommendations. Again, using the example of fibromyalgia, as a result of that scientific workshop, the Institute is issuing a request for applications for exploratory and developmental grants in this area, targeting the pressing research questions in this area. Similar approaches have been utilized for many other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, low back pain, repetitive motion disorders, and various skin diseases. We ask what is the best strategy for understanding each disease and how we can improve the lives of patients. Over and over again, we have seen how research in one area significantly informs our understanding of other diseases. That is why it is so essential to support studies across the research spectrum.

See the full text of the official statement here. Thanks to Chip Davis for alerting us about this.