Rep. Doris Matsui Announces an Additional $229,250 for UC Davis Medical School, Center for Infectious Diseases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
CONTACT: Alexis Marks or Mara Lee
(202)225-7163
Funds Will Enable UC Davis Medical Researchers to Perform Additional Bacteria Studies
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) today announced an additional $229,250 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for research at the UC Davis Medical School, Center for Infectious Diseases in Sacramento. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which Rep. Matsui supported, is a robust economic recovery package that puts real federal dollars into a wide variety of programs to help Sacramentans - and people across the country.
The $229,250 made available to the UC Davis Medical School Infectious Diseases Department will fund research of the helicobacter pylori and the gastric microbial community in rhesus macaques. The project is examining whether the immune response to a certain gastric pathogen weakens "friendly" bacteria, giving the pathogen a competitive advantage in the gut. This project is important because many ulcers and some stomach cancers are a direct result of the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria.
It used to be thought that bacterium did not exist in the stomach, but just in the intestines and esophagus. However, with the discovery of H. pylori, a bacteria that infects the gastric mucosa of approximately 60% of the world's population, this has been questioned. It is vital to understanding how health and diseases are affected by microbial communities.
"I am pleased to announce additional recovery package funds for the Sacramento region, funds that will further our understanding of a series of bacteria, and in turn, shed new light on possible cures," stated Congresswoman Matsui. "It is imperative that we continue to support medical research with federal funding. I look forward to see the research breakthroughs that come as a result of this funding, and am pleased to see additional recovery funds continue to provide better medical services and diagnoses in the coming years."
To see where all of the recovery funds have been allocated throughout Sacramento to date, visit www.matsui.house.gov for a complete list and interactive Google Map.
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