Department of Defense Awards $206,000 for Lupus Research
September 06, 2012LFA Led Advocacy Efforts to Include Lupus in Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program; $12.1 Million Awarded to Date
Washington, Sept. 6 — The Department of Defense (DoD) recently awarded $206,000 for a proposal that could lay the groundwork for developing therapeutic strategies that specifically target lupus. The award brings the total research funding granted for lupus to $12.1 million under the DoD Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).
The Lupus Foundation of America has, for nearly a decade, spearheaded the advocacy efforts include lupus as a disease area eligible for research funding through the PRMRP.
The awardee is Dr. Lisa Laury-Kleintop of the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research in Wynnewood, Penn. Her proposal will test whether antibodies against a novel protein target can weaken the onset of symptoms in an established preclinical model of lupus by selectively reducing levels of pathogenic autoantibodies.
The Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), established in 1999, supports medical and scientific research in key disease areas, including lupus, with the goal of enhancing the health and well-being of uniformed service personnel, their families, and the veteran population.The LFA continues to demonstrate to Congress the significant impact lupus has on military personnel and their dependents. These advocacy efforts have opened an additional source of much-needed funds to support lupus research.
Due to changing demographics in the military, there is a rising prevalence of lupus – a disease that mostly affects women—in the military population.
To learn more, visit the DoD Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Web site at http://cdmrp.army.mil/prmrp/.
The LFA is the foremost national nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. More information about lupus and our ongoing research efforts is available by visiting www.lupus.org.
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