JDRF, Lupus Research Alliance, and National MS Society Join Forces to Decode Common Mechanisms of Immune-Mediated Diseases

— First Joint Common Mechanisms Grants Announced JDRF International, the Lupus Research Alliance and the National MS 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 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. 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 more about each of the following grantees and their projects: