Diversity Supplement to Project 1

Baylor Research Institute, Dallas TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

We propose to create an Autoimmunity Center of Excellence that will incorporate the efforts of clinicians, human immunologists (both basic and translational), physician-scientists with clinical expertise and research experience in autoimmunity, bioinformaticians, and geriomics/systems biologists. Together, the assembled group has an extensive background in clinical trials and a proven track record for merging basic and clinical science. This team is committed to bringing innovative treatments from the laboratory bench to their patients' bedside. Within this collaborative setting, a systems biology approach is proposed to focus on both pediatric and adult autoimmune diseases. The goals of the Center are: 1) To assess the efficacy of novel targeted therapies, 2) To develop simple and robust biomarkers using state-of-the-art genomic approaches, 3) To understand the role of recently identified T cell subsets in disease pathogenesis, and 4) To assess antigen-specific responses in pediatric and adult autoimmune diseases. These projects will provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of specific autoimmune diseases and allow us to develop a strategy to assess disease activity based on novel transcriptional markers as well as to identify autoantigen-specific immune responses. The Center will deliver: 1) Innovative clinical trials targeting specific cytokines in psoriasis & dermatomyositis. 2) Development of biomarkers for dermatomyositis, psoriasis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. 3) Identification of novel therapeutic targets in dermatomyositis. 4) Development of assays to test autoantigen-specific immune responses. 5) Development of a unique microarray database of human autoimmune diseases.