Competition Catalyst Grant 2016

Application Metrics:  2/6 Applications Funded

Principal Investigator:  Dr. Murray B. Urowitz

Institution:  University Health Network, Krembil Research Institute

Project Title:  Scrutinizing the Heterogeneity of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Defining Phenotypes

Funding Received:  $35,000 Awarded

Project Lay Summary:  Lupus is a disease that mimics multiple diseases. The focus of this project is to phenotype patients, meaning to determine how clinically different lupus patients are from one another and how or why these differences exist. Lupus is characterised by unpredictable relapses and remissions in the majority of patients. However, in small proportion, lupus patients with monophasic pattern, meaning that these patients have active disease before and immediately after diagnosis and after some time they achieve prolonged remission. Interestingly, about half of these patients do so and require no medications. On the other end of the clinical spectrum, approximately 50% of the patients demonstrate persistent disease activity and usually have the highest risk for developing co-morbidities and irreversible damage. The objective of this study is to define distinct phenotypes of lupus based on disease course.