updated as of June 16, 1997

Government funds 91 Gulf War medical research studies

The federal government is funding 91 medical research studies into possible patterns and causes of Gulf War illnesses. A new comprehensive description of these 91 studies has just been published by the Persian Gulf Veterans Coordinating Board entitled: Annual Report to Congress--Federally Sponsored Research on Persian Gulf Veterans’ Illnesses--April 1997.

The 91 studies range from the very narrow and technical—such as Project VA-15, designed "to determine the expression and function of T cell costimulatory molecules during vaccination of mice with Leishmania antigen and cytokine adjuvants"—to the very broad and comprehensive—such as Project DOD-45, designed "to assess whether the prevalence of health problems remain elevated in women deployed to the Gulf at six years post deployment."

Topics being researched are determined by the Research Working Group (RWG) of the Persian Gulf War Coordinating Board, a panel of medical researchers from four government agencies, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The panel has been in operation since 1993 and is working under the chairmanship of Dr. John R. Feussner, M.D., of the VA. As part of the larger panel, the RWG has divided their research work into 11 categories, as shown in the table.

`While these projects are all being funded by the federal government, they are not all being conducted by federal agencies. Many of these projects are being performed at medical schools and universities across the country. Furthermore, they are subject to "peer review," meaning the project results are published in medical journals, only after a panel of recognized medical experts has reviewed the research work and has agreed that it is competent work.

Federally-funded Research on Gulf War Health Issues

as of May 1997

Almost half the work is being done in VA medical centers, but many other research centers are involved including eight U.S. universities, a British university, a Dutch laboratory, and the March of Dimes.

The package of 91 medical research projects has three goals, as listed by the Persian Gulf Veterans Coordinating Board in its November 1996 report: A Working Plan For Research on Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses:

� "Establish the nature and prevalence of symptoms, diagnosable diseases, and other conditions in Persian Gulf veterans in comparison to appropriate control populations;

� "Identify possible risk factors [causes] for any excess morbidity [sickness]or mortality [death] among Persian Gulf veterans; and

� "Identify appropriate diagnostic tools, treatment methods, and prevention/intervention strategies for conditions found among Persian Gulf veterans."

 

In late 1996, the Defense Department announced the availability of funding for medical research proposals which were relevant to the recommendations of the PAC. Research contracts are expected to be issued in the fall of 1997, which will total about $10 million.

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