The U.S. Department of Defense has selected Joseph M. Ahearn, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Lupus Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh to receive a $1.4 million research grant (U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Congressionally Directed Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP). This award will fund the Lupus Center of Excellence’s ongoing studies on lupus biomarkers.
Biomarkers are specific biochemicals found in the body which are structured in a way that make them useful for diagnosing a disease, measuring its progress or treatment effectiveness. Research on lupus biomarkers is a key area of scientific interest for the Lupus Foundation of America [LFA].
The LFA made a persuasive case to DoD officials that described the relevance of lupus research to military personnel and their dependents. 
Four of the six DoD grants have specifically been awarded for studies on lupus biomarkers.
Due to the changing demographics of the military population, there is an ever-increasing prevalence of lupus in military and Veterans Hospital Clinics. The LFA recognized this emerging health issue and worked to have lupus included in the PRMRP to advance research on lupus, which ultimately will help
DoD’s Congressionally Directed Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program’s Web site.
Dr. Ahearn also is the recipient of a research grant from the LFA for a study on lupus biomarkers, "Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Monitoring and Prognosis in Pediatric Lupus." This is the first study in which biomarkers for lupus are being investigated in both adults and children.
Read more about this research initiative and Dr. Ahearn’s research study.
WHAT IS LUPUS (from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Also called: Discoid lupus, SLE, Subacute cutaneous lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus
Anyone can get lupus, but women are most at risk. Lupus is also more common in African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women. The cause of lupus is not known.
Lupus has many symptoms. Common ones are:
- Joint pain or swelling
- Muscle pain
- Fever with no known cause
- Red rashes, often on the face (also called the "butterfly rash")
There is no one test to diagnose lupus, and it may take months or years to make the diagnosis. There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.
MORE INFORMATION:
Available: consumer information, organized links to disease overviews, patient education tutorials; information on diagnosis, treatment, disease management, and coping.
Spanish translation available.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Lupus Foundation of America [LFA]
Learn more about LFA advocacy initiatives or LFA-funded research.
Comprehensive site with ‘user-friendly’ information for people with lupus and their families.
Provides: consumer resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and news.
Lupus Research Institute [LRI]
This organization funds lupus research, lobbies congress for funding of new treatments and cure.
Provides: information about research, advocacy, and news about lupus.
Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR)
Provides grant funding and advocates for federal funding for lupus research. distributes, via email, a Provides: newsletter (via e-mail). Information about public policy, funded research, news, and events related to lupus.
Immune Tolerance Network (ITN)
ITN is a clinical research consortium sponsored by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Provides: Information for research professionals and for the general public. The consortium and website’s primary focus is on clinical trials of immune tolerance therapies, particularly in relation to allergy, asthma, and autoimmune diseases such as SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus).
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Arthritis: Types—Overview: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Provides: statistics about lupus; prevalence, incidence, mortality, and hospitalizations.
US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS): Handout on Health: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Excellent overview of lupus.
Provides: definitions, diagnostic tools, warning signs and prevention tips (flare ups), and advice. Links to clinical trials and literature/journal references in PubMed.
Stumble It!
