National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Contracts Branch, DERT, P.O. Box 12874, Building 4401, Research Commons, 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

A -- IDENTIFICATION OF THE HEREDITARY PROSTATE CANCER GENE BASED ON FINNISH FAMILIES SOL N01-HG-55389 POC Velvet M. Torain, Contract Specialist, 919/541-0400/Phillip D. Jones, Contracting Officer, 919/541-0426 WEB: NONE, NONE. E-MAIL: NONE, NONE. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences intends to negotiate a modification to contract numbered NO1-HG-55389 with the University of Tampere, in Tampere Finland to continue the family ascertainment, specimen collection as well as research on genealogy and family links in Finland, and to expand the current families to include more distant relatives. All the procedures utilized and developed in the prostate/breast cancer studies thus far would continue to be used. Consent forms and the family questionnaires require no changes. It is the Government's estimate that two full time laboratory technicians, one full time nurse, and three scientists/special experts shall be required to complete the work. The Technicians shall be responsible for blood collection, isolation of DNAs collection and preparation of paraffin-embedded tissues as well as establishment of permanent lymphoblast cultures from living affecteds. The nurse shall be responsible for contacting patients, relatives, coordinating sample collection, questionnaires and family data from genealogy. The three scientists/special experts shall perform in genealogy, epidemiological studies, and oversee the specimen collection phases of the study. The period of performance of the contract will be extended twelve months with a planned expiration date of September 30, 1999. Authority: 41 USC 253(c)(1), as set forth in FAR 6.302-1 -- Only One Responsible Source. The progress under this contract has been substantial and of great benefit in the search for and narrowing down of susceptibility loci for prostate and breast cancer. The Finland is uniquely suited for studies of the genetics of prostate/breast cancer since the population is genetically relatively homogeneous because most of its members trace back to a small number of settlers. Furthermore, the contract has fully utilized and built on the existing comprehensive and complete databases on the medical characteristics of the Finland population. These databases facilitate identifying individuals and families with various medical conditions such as prostate cancer, saving enormous amount of time compared to doing the same study in the United States where records are dispersed and very incomplete or non-existent. See Numbered Notes 22 and 26. (0166)

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