JDRF International, the Lupus Research Alliance, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, solicited grant proposals from investigators across autoimmune and other relevant fields to advance the understanding of autoimmunity and to obtain more specific insights into commonalities and differences of immune pathways that govern these disease processes.
The incomplete knowledge of immune networks, pathways, disease pathogenesis and heterogeneity across multiple autoimmune diseases remains a challenge towards achieving optimal therapies. This grant program invited innovative ideas that address needs across multiple autoimmune diseases in novel ways that may allow us to make faster progress together.
Dr. Satpathy will use the cutting-edge technology that can obtain genomic information on the status of each gene in an individual cell, allowing the detection of molecular differences that could be obscured in a pool of cells. Applying this approach on immune cells from healthy individuals and people with autoimmune diseases—including type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematous, and multiple sclerosis—he aims to identify the genes and pathways associated uniquely with each disease and shared between the diseases. He anticipates that these studies will lead to a single-cell atlas of autoimmune disease-associated genetic factors, leading to novel insights into the shared and disease-specific mechanisms governing each disease and propose new strategies for therapeutic intervention.
Autoimmune diseases are chronic disorders in which the immune system produces an inappropriate response against its own cells, tissues and/or organs that results in inflammation and damage. Approximately 24 million Americans suffer from the more than 80 autoimmune diseases. Some autoimmune diseases target one area of the body; for instance, type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects the pancreas while multiple sclerosis damages the nervous system. In contrast, systemic lupus erythematosus can affect the entire body, attacking virtually any organ or tissue.
Insufficient knowledge of how these diseases progress as well as their heterogeneity, that is, how the disease manifests differently in people – is a common challenge among type 1 diabetes (T1D), lupus and multiple sclerosis that this grant program aims to overcome. The Common Mechanisms of Autoimmunity grants will provide researchers up to $200,000 a year for up to two years to investigate the immune system’s role in the development of lupus, type 1 diabetes, and/or multiple sclerosis. The 2021 awardees are examining possible common mechanisms that could cause or contribute to the development of at least two of the three autoimmune diseases. Ultimately, the researchers hope to find novel biological targets and strategies for therapeutic development to treat the diseases
JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter (@JDRF), Facebook (@myjdrf), and Instagram (@jdrfhq).
The Lupus Research Alliance is the largest non-governmental, non-profit funder of lupus research worldwide. The organization aims to transform treatment by funding the most innovative lupus research, fostering diverse scientific talent, and driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and ultimately a cure for lupus. Because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors fund all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations goes to support lupus research programs. Visit LupusResearch.org to learn more about lupus and the research Lupus Research Alliance is funding to find new treatments and a cure.
The National MS Society, founded in 1946, funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalMSsociety.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.
NEW YORK, NY, February 18, 2021 – JDRF International, the Lupus Research Alliance and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society joined forces to accelerate research and discovery in autoimmunity and are proud to announce the recipients of their first joint grants. Called Decoding Immune-Mediated Diseases – Novel Approaches for Therapeutic Insights, the new grant program will support the research of eight grant recipients from major academic centers around the world. This marks the first time these three organizations are jointly funding research projects looking at common underlying disease mechanisms.
Autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases are chronic disorders in which the immune system produces a harmful response against its own cells, tissues and/or organs that results in inflammation and organ damage. According to the NIH, some 24 million Americans suffer from the more than 80 autoimmune diseases. Some autoimmune diseases target one area of the body; for instance, type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects the pancreas while multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the nervous system. In contrast, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can affect the entire body, attacking virtually any organ or tissue.
Insufficient knowledge of how these diseases progress, as well as their heterogeneity is a common challenge among T1D, lupus and MS—that this grant program aims to overcome. The Decoding Immune-Mediated Diseases grants will provide researchers either up to $450,000 over two years or $225,000 over one year depending on the scope of the project. Each study will investigate the immune system’s role in the development of lupus, T1D and/or MS. The 2021 awardees are examining possible common mechanisms that could cause or contribute to the development of at least two of the three autoimmune diseases. Ultimately, the researchers hope to find novel biological targets and strategies for therapies to treat the diseases.
Visit DecodingAutoimmunity.org to learn about each of the following grantees and their projects:
Goals for this Autoimmune Partnership
“Understanding the commonalities between autoimmune diseases and how they affect the body can be the key to ultimately unlocking cures applicable to multiple communities,” said Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D., JDRF Vice President of Research. “JDRF is excited to partner with both the Lupus Research Alliance and the National MS Society to support this research and transform the lives of millions affected by these autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.”
Teodora Staeva, Ph.D., LRA Chief Scientific Officer, notes, “Because the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases are still poorly understood and their cure has yet to be identified, we joined with JDRF and NMSS to support projects that could provide broad insights into autoimmune diseases and identify pathways distinctly affected in each specific disease.” She adds, “Decoding the mechanisms common to these three serious disorders of the immune system will help scientists to not only develop therapeutic targets, but also to identify which patients can most benefit from them.”
“This partnership creates the opportunity to increase the pool of investigators working across autoimmune disease areas, exploring shared environmental and genetic risk factors and using comparative approaches to provide insights on the most promising pathways to target each disease. We hope this research will lead to new strategies to regulate the immune system,” says Mark Allegretta, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at the National MS Society.
Visit DecodingAutoimmunity.org for more information.
About JDRF International
JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter (@JDRF), Facebook (@myjdrf), and Instagram (@jdrfhq).
About the Lupus Research Alliance
The Lupus Research Alliance is the largest non-governmental, non-profit funder of lupus research worldwide. The organization aims to transform treatment by funding the most innovative lupus research, fostering diverse scientific talent, and driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and ultimately a cure for lupus. Because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors fund all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations goes to support lupus research programs. Visit LupusResearch.org to learn more about lupus and the research LRA is funding to find new treatments and a cure.
About the National MS Society
The National MS Society, founded in 1946, funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalMSsociety.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.
Media Contacts:
Ayana Young, JDRF
AYoung@jdrf.org
Margy Meislin, Lupus Research Alliance
MMeislin@lupusresearch.org
Daphne Mack, National MS Society
Daphne.Mack@nmss.org