The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has joined a major medical research project to investigate why autoimmune diseases affect multiple members of some families. The study will examine genetic and immune-system factors that may increase the likelihood of developing conditions such as lupus, type 1 diabetes and myositis.
The research will involve 200 families over the next four years. Scientists hope the findings will improve understanding of how these diseases develop and help identify potential targets for future treatments.
Six Medical Centres to Participate in the Research
The project, titled “Genomic Profiling and Identification of Targetable Shared Immunopathogenic Events in Multiplex Families with Autoimmune Diseases”, is being led by Dr Dipyaman Ganguly of Ashoka University.
AIIMS Delhi and five other medical institutions will participate in the research. The centres will help collect patient information and biological samples for detailed investigations.
Dr Ranjan Gupta, Additional Professor in AIIMS Delhi’s Department of Rheumatology, explained that this is the first time India is conducting a family-based study of autoimmune diseases on this scale.
Researchers to Examine Genetic and Immune-System Factors
Autoimmune diseases develop when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues. Although certain genetic markers are already associated with these conditions, having such markers does not necessarily mean that a person will develop an autoimmune disease.
Researchers will compare genetic and immunological information from affected family members and their unaffected relatives. They will also investigate how environmental factors may influence the development of these conditions.
Study Could Support Future Treatment Research
Scientists hope the findings will reveal common biological processes behind different autoimmune diseases. Identifying these shared mechanisms could help researchers discover new treatment targets and improve future approaches to managing these conditions.
The four-year project is expected to contribute important evidence to autoimmune disease research in India, particularly for families in which more than one member is affected.
