Lupus Research Alliance grants $3 million award to study pediatric lupus nephritis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- The award provides $3 million to develop novel techniques to treat kidney disease.
- The project uses imaging technology to study molecular, cellular and structural alterations in kidney biopsies.
The Lupus Research Alliance granted its 2023 Global Team Science Award to a multidisciplinary team to study pediatric lupus nephritis, according to a press release.
“We are delighted to award the 2023 Global Team Science Award as part of our strategic plan for research to scientists who will apply innovative technologies to investigate immune cell abnormalities and changes in the genetic code of patients with pediatric lupus nephritis,” Teodora Staeva, PhD, the chief scientific officer of the alliance, said in the release. “Selected from many compelling proposals, this project will explore the heterogeneity of lupus and help inform the acceleration of personalized treatments for lupus nephritis.”
The award is funded by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and provides a research team with $3 million during 3 years to develop novel techniques to predict treatment response and disease progression from kidney biopsies and improve the diagnosis and classification of childhood lupus nephritis and precision medicine.
The current project is led by corresponding investigator Elena Hsieh, MD, associate professor of immunology, microbiology and pediatrics at the University of Colorado, Anschutz School of Medicine, who will oversee the group of patients from Children’s Hospital Colorado, according to the release. The team includes immunology, pediatric rheumatology and nephrology, genetics and data analysis researchers.
Researchers will examine kidney tissue samples from internationally sourced biopsies, including from patients with high-risk racial and ethnic backgrounds, such as African, Hispanic, Native American and Asian origins, who often face more severe disease activity.
The project includes 300 to 400 patients with pediatric lupus nephritis across five countries and aims to use imaging technology to scrutinize molecular, cellular and structural alterations in patients' kidney biopsies. The objective is to identify potential links between changes and disease progression, including response to treatment, according to the release. Patients will be categorized into distinct groups based on their clinical characteristics, genetic makeup and biopsy findings, aiding in the development of tailored treatments.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts