Lupus Research Institute Reports Unprecedented Success in First Round of Grants

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Lupus Research Institute Reports Unprecedented Success in First Round of

Grants

Source: Lupus Research Institute

Date: Jan 20, 2004

New York, NY, January 14, 2004 -- Eight of 11 scientists funded by the Lupus

Research Institute (LRI) from 2001-2003 have been awarded more than $7

million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other governmental

offices to continue their novel research projects in lupus.

" The primary measure of our success is the number of scientists who develop

their hypotheses at the LRI and then go on to NIH grants to expand their

work, " said Margaret Dowd, president of the LRI. ³The fact that 73 percent

of our investigators successfully secured additional funding is a testament

to our solid research strategy. The LRI emphasizes the need to remain open

to radical new ideas in research and encourage high-risk, high-impact

studies that stimulate new approaches to understanding, treating, and

ultimately preventing lupus. "

The successful research hypotheses were identified by a distinguished peer

review panel, co-chaired by Lipsky, MD, scientific director of the

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at

NIH, and Ann Marshak-Rothstein, PhD, professor of microbiology, Boston

University School of Medicine.

" In only three years, this talented group of researchers has been able to

shed light on many of the genetic links to lupus, pinpoint the role of

B-cells and certain types of white blood cells in the disease process, and

provide a better understanding of how lupus attacks the brain, kidney and

skin, " said Dr. Lipsky. " This type of novel research is ultimately what will

move this field forward. "

Researchers from Six Medical Centers

The LRI scientists who have received expanded government funding are:

*

L. Cohen, MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

*

K. Crow, MD, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

*

Betty Diamond, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York

*

Kotzin, MD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center,

Denver

*

Chandra Mohan, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical

Center, Dallas

*

Chaim Putterman, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York

*

Barbara J. Vilen, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

*

Werth, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,

Philadelphia

³This novel work would not have been funded without the unique granting

mechanisms and model peer review process of the LRI,² said Dowd.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Lupus

Lupus is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease that may attack virtually

any organ or bodily system at any time. The body's immune system, which

normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive,

forming antibodies that attack healthy tissues and organs including the

kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, blood, skin and joints. Lupus affects an

estimated 1.5 million Americans and is a leading cause of kidney disease,

stroke and cardiovascular disease in young women. It is chronic, yet

unpredictable, with serious flares and remissions over decades. While

researchers have made significant progress in recent years in understanding

the genetics of lupus and how sex hormones may be involved, scientists

attest that lupus remains a disease that is still not well understood.

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) maintains a broad research agenda and

remains open to promising new scientific hypotheses and methodologies.

Through its Novel Research Program, the LRI supports investigators

nationwide in their pursuit of new approaches to improve treatment, prevent

and cure lupus. The LRI currently is reviewing grant applications with

particular attention to the development of early biomarkers (predictors) to

assess disease activity in lupus and possible response to therapy.

Currently, the LRI has awarded more than $7 million in grants, supporting 35

scientists at leading medical institutions around the country. Specific

information on individual research projects can be obtained online at

www.lupusresearchinstitute.org.