IDEAL Initiative: Advancing Clinical Research on Diet and Microbiome in Lupus Treatment

Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical arm of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), has introduced an innovative funding initiative to tackle one of the key questions in lupus clinical care and management. The IDEAL (Investigate Dietary Approaches for Lupus) Initiative was created to support pilot clinical trials exploring how diet interventions can affect the daily lives of individuals with lupus and to fill the gap in well-controlled studies in this field. The goal of the initiative is to enhance lupus care by identifying a straightforward, practical, and accessible dietary strategy that benefits those living with the condition.

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Unanswered Questions in Lupus Mechanisms

The relationship between diet, the microbiome, and the development and progression of lupus has garnered significant interest from both researchers and those affected by the disease. While other therapeutic areas have seen productive studies on diet and the microbiome, lupus research in this area has mostly been in its early stages and preclinical. More than a decade ago, the LRA funded the first studies examining the microbiome’s role in lupus and has since continued to support research and lead key discussions to advance the field. Despite many unresolved questions about the mechanisms of lupus, particularly its connection to the microbiome and environmental factors, the IDEAL Initiative has the potential to offer valuable insights into these areas.

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The Purpose of the IDEAL Initiative

“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, multi-disciplinary 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 multi-disciplinary (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, Ph.D., 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.”

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Award Details and Funding Structure

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’s 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.

• January 8, 2025, 11:59 pm ET– Letter of intent (LOI) due: A three-page LOI will be used to judge the innovation, significance, and alignment of the proposed project with the IDEAL funding mechanism.
• March 28, 2025, 11:59 pm ET – Full application due: Applicants whose LOIs successfully pass this first review stage will be invited to submit a full application in the second stage of the application process with further instructions provided at that time.

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.

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.

Source-Eurekalert