Request for Information (RFI): Community Input for Nominating Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or Genes Associated with Drug Abuse and Related Psychiatric Co-morbidities to Develop a Custom SNP Neuroarray

Notice Number: NOT-DA-07-010

Key Dates
Release Date: February 3, 2007

Nomination Deadline:  March 30, 2007

Issued by
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (http://www.nida.nih.gov)

Information Requested

This is a time-sensitive request directed to investigators who have research interests that fall into the research areas supported by the Institutes listed below. Responses are needed by or before March 30th, 2007.

Pending availability of funds NIDA plans to develop and generate a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array platform for studies investigating the genetics and pharmacogenetics of drug abuse and addiction and related psychiatric disorders.  NIDA seeks the nomination of custom SNPs that provide in-depth coverage of genes with prior knowledge of association with drug addiction and related disorders.

The “Neuroarray” for drug abuse and other psychiatric disorders would be made available competitively through standard NIH mechanisms to advance the understanding of (1) genetic vulnerability to these specific public health disorders, and (2) the genetic profiles of patients for targeted/tailored pharmacotherapies.

Respondents to this RFI may nominate as many genes or SNPs as desired, but may not nominate the same gene or SNP more than once.  Although the SNPs and/or genes receiving multiple nominations may have a higher likelihood of making the final list, only SNPs suited for the Neuroarray platform will be chosen, and alternate candidates may be sought.

Please note that information on minor allele frequencies (MAFs) of the SNPs submitted is requested if known.  Because the Neuroarray will be combined with a human SNP genome wide association array with best coverage in the CEU (European ancestry) population, submitted SNPs that are found with MAFs in multiple populations will be given priority.

A panel of experts will be convened to prioritize the nominations and submit a final list of SNPs to NIDA to generate the Neuroarray.  NIDA will announce the final list of SNPs included on the Neuroarray once the resource is generated.

Responses

Please submit your nominations as completely as possible through the web-based form:  http://www.drugabuse.gov/Neuroarray/.  Batch submissions are possible through a link to an Excel spreadsheet on the site.

To nominate particular SNPs:

Please include the dbSNP reference number (rs number) along with PubMed citations and gene information, if applicable.  Private SNPs are also encouraged as long as sufficient information is provided and justified.  Please indicate whether the SNP is in HapMap I or II data, and if the population frequencies are known.  Please indicate whether the SNP or gene you nominate is from a linkage region from a published or unpublished linkage or QTL analysis, as these SNPs would receive higher priority.

To nominate particular genes:

If you do not know particular SNPs, you can nominate genes and we will attempt to identify SNPs for coverage of that gene.  You must have the HUGO approved gene name or NM_identifier, along with the number of flanking sequence bases on either side of the gene to be covered.

For all nominations of SNPs or genes, justifications must include a brief description of how the gene is associated with drug abuse and other related co-morbidities.  In addition, several other categories of information for characterizing the SNPs are provided: 1) addiction-related, 2) psychiatric disease-related, 3) copy number variation/structural variation-related, 4) pharmacogenetic-related, 5) epigenetic, 6) cell adhesion related, 7) signal transduction related, 8) neurotransmission related, 9) gene regulation related, and 10) Other.

Responses must be returned as soon as possible, but no later than March 30th, 2007. 

Inquiries

For additional information or questions, please contact:

Joni L. Rutter, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Division of Basic Neurosciences and Behavioral Research
for Population and Applied Genetics
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institutes of Health
Rm.4259, MSC 9555
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Phone: 301-435-0298
FAX: 301-594-6043
Email: NIDA_neuroarray@nida.nih.gov 


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