LFA announces new grants for critical areas of lupus research

Today, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) announced new research grants awarded to fund critical areas of research where gaps exist in the understanding and knowledge of lupus including: pediatric lupus, cutaneous (skin) lupus, mid-to-late stage translational research, adult stem cells, and neuropsychiatric lupus, which affects the brain and nervous system. The LFA's National Research Program: Bringing Down the Barriers, is committed to accelerating the pace of medical discovery in lupus and directing support toward promising areas of study where other public and private organizations have not focused their efforts.

Several studies this year focus on important areas of pediatric lupus research, including lupus nephritis in children, quality of life, and central nervous system involvement (CNS) in children. The LFA is the only national organization with a dedicated pediatric lupus research program. Little is known about the long-term impact of the disease on children. Childhood lupus tends to be more severe than adult-onset lupus, and children are at greater risk for life-threatening complications such as damage to their kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.

This is the first year of funding for the Lucy Vodden Research Grant Award that was established in 2011 by the LFA and musician and LFA Global Ambassador Julian Lennon. The grant will fund the validation of a tool to evaluate the quality of life in children with lupus, allowing for more efficient and accurate self- reported health outcomes. Another significant research study this year will fund a large-scale comparison of available treatments for lupus nephritis in children, to demonstrate a standard of treatment which currently does not exist. The outcomes of the studies could have an immediate and direct impact on the care and quality of life for children with lupus.

The LFA is also funding a potentially breakthrough study that will evaluate the use of adult donor stem cells as a potential pathway for the treatment of lupus. Stem cells as therapeutics is a highly promising, but also highly controversial area of research. Some of the controversy revolves around a misunderstanding that there are different types of stem cells being studied for a variety of medical uses. Adult stem cells are the type being investigated for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as lupus.