PROJECT SUIWMARY The Clinical Translational Resource Core (RC 1) is a key resource for the University of Florida (UF) Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC), providing the infrastructure and expertise for conduding clinical and pre-clinical research across the spedrum of translational investigation. Its primary goal is to encourage and facilitate clinical translational research focused on sarcopenia and disability prevention. The RCI has four Specific Aims: ? Aim 1: To promote and facilitate translation from pre-clinical research and pilot studies into clinical trials in older persons. ? Aim 2: To promote and facilitate the development of pharmacologic, nutritional and behavioral interventions to prevent sarcopenia, and improve physical function and quality of life of older adults. ? Aim 3: To utilize existing data sets and stored biological specimens for secondary analyses to inform and support future clinical trials. ? Aim 4: To provide the research infrastructure, resources, and intellectual environment to facilitate translational research related to sarcopenia and disability prevention. The RCI provides infrastructure and personnel (including UOl and R01 funded investigators) to support the development and implementation of pre-clinical research, pharmacologic, nutritional and behavioral interventions, and observational studies addressing factors contributing to sarcopenia and implications for functional decline and disability. Integrated with the UF Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) as its Aging Clinical Research Unit (Aging CRU) and building on close collaborations with other OAIC cores, the RCI will support pilot/exploratory projects, developmental projects, and external projects. The Core will also provide senior level Investigators with established track records as mentors for career development to lead each of these goals, providing expertise and promoting a rich environment for junior faculty research and senior faculty collaboration.
Age-related decline in physical function and related costs of health care and services pose a major challenge for an aging society. While public health principles encourage evidence -based preventive activities for acute and chronic disease, to date there is no conclusive evidence supporting the efficacy of an intervention to prevent or reverse physical disability in older persons. Research conducted through the UF OAIC seeks to address this gap through its focus on sarcopenia and disability prevention: to improve our understanding of age-related changes in muscle structure and function, explore their impact on fundional impairment and physical disability, as well as develop and test interventions targeting sarcopenia to prevent or reverse impairment, disability, and loss of independence in older populations. The Clinical Translational Resource Core (RCI) builds on pre-clinical, clinical, and epidemiologic research findings to develop and test interventions in pilot/exploratory projects and Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials and takes advantage of ongoing clinical studies to promote translation into basic/mechanistic studies.
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