New York, NY, November 22, 2024 —
The unique IDEAL (Investigate Dietary Approaches for Lupus) Initiative will provide multidisciplinary research teams the opportunity to conduct innovative and much-needed research of diet in lupus
Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), today announced a pioneering funding mechanism to address one of the most common questions about lupus clinical care and management. The IDEAL (Investigate Dietary Approaches for Lupus) Initiative was established to fund pilot clinical studies assessing the impact of diet intervention on the lived experience of lupus and to address the void of well-controlled studies in this area. The initiative aims to augment lupus care by identifying a simple, practical and accessible dietary approach that benefits people with lupus.
The impact of diet and the microbiome on lupus development and progression has been an area of immense interest for researchers and those living with lupus. While there have been some positive and productive assessments of diet and microbiome in other therapeutic areas, studies in lupus have been largely preliminary and preclinical. Over 10 years ago, the LRA funded the first studies on the role of the microbiome in lupus and has continued to support research in this area and led key forums to spearhead next steps for bringing research to those living with lupus. There remain many unanswered questions regarding the mechanistic aspects of lupus, including the relationship of the disease to the microbiome and environmental factors, but the IDEAL Initiative has the potential to provide some insight for these aspects.
“The IDEAL Initiative was created to answer questions among researchers, clinicians, and those living with lupus eager to unlock new insights on how diet and the microbiome impact lupus management and disease course,” said Stacie Bell, Executive Vice President of Lupus Therapeutics. “With the expertise in the lupus community and the growing knowledge about the mechanistic aspect of lupus, Lupus Therapeutics is optimistic that a robust, multidisciplinary research approach will render robust results that could be extrapolated into a larger evaluation of interventions and care strategies that have the potential to enhance patient outcomes and quality of life.”
Formed after convening and gathering feedback from an expert steering committee, the IDEAL Initiative will fund a pilot proof-of-concept clinical study to evaluate the impact of diet on lupus. Proposals must include a multidisciplinary (potentially multi-institutional) team approach, with at least two disciplines in the proposed project. The desired result is a clinical outcome or scientific mechanism rather than dietary guidance, although the study may inform the development of dietary guidance.
“The IDEAL Initiative is a direct response to the research community’s call for clinical studies in an emerging area of unmet need,” said Teodora Staeva, PhD, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Lupus Research Alliance. “The LRA continues to champion innovative funding mechanisms that will tackle pressing needs in lupus research. This initiative is one of several new LRA funding opportunities that could lead towards new care approaches for people with lupus.”
The IDEAL initiative will provide up to $500,000 over two years to fund a scientifically based, well-controlled small clinical pilot study. The intent is to fund up to two awards at $500,000 each. All studies should have a clear and direct relevance to people with lupus and should offer the potential to improve standard of care and the daily lived experience. Priority will be given to projects that also align with LRA strategic research priorities of defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms and integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients. It is critical for the IDEAL-funded project to keep patients at the center and beneficial to include patients as research partners.
A two-stage application process will be employed.
For more information and further details, download the Request for Applications, or contact:
Clinical: Stacie Bell, PhD, Executive Vice President, Lupus Therapeutics, sbell@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Taylor Irons, Senior Clinical Operations Project Coordinator, Lupus Therapeutics, tirons@lupusresearch.org
About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. In lupus, the immune system, meant to defend against infections, produces autoantibodies that mistake the body’s own cells as foreign, causing other immune cells to attack organs such as the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs and skin, as well as blood and joints. Ninety percent of people with lupus are women, most often diagnosed between the ages of 15-45. Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander people are disproportionately affected by lupus and more likely to experience severe lupus symptoms.
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 funds all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations goes to support lupus research programs. For more information, please visit the LRA at LupusResearch.org and on social media at: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Lupus Therapeutics
Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance, aims to accelerate the development of curative treatments for all patients living with lupus. Lupus Therapeutics collaborates with premier research institutions, biopharmaceutical partners, and those living with lupus through the unprecedented Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN) to drive rapid and meaningful progress in treatment development. The organization elevates the patient voice, engages community stakeholders, and strives for representation of the diverse lupus community in the clinical research process with the most innovative and renowned experts throughout North America. Visit LupusTherapeutics.org for more information.
