Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), today announced a pioneering funding mechanism to address one of the most common questions about lupus clinical care and management. The IDEAL ( I nvestigate D i e tary A pproaches for L upus) Initiative was established to fund pilot clinical studies assessing the impact of diet intervention on the lived experience of lupus and to address the void of well-controlled studies in this area. The initiative aims to augment lupus care by identifying a simple, practical and accessible dietary approach that benefits people with lupus.
The impact of diet and the microbiome on lupus development and progression has been an area of immense interest for researchers and those living with lupus. While there have been some positive and productive assessments of diet and microbiome in other therapeutic areas, studies in lupus have been largely preliminary and preclinical. Over 10 years ago, the LRA funded the first studies on the role of the microbiome in lupus and has continued to support research in this area and led key forums to spearhead next steps for bringing research to those living with lupus.
There remain many unanswered questions regarding the mechanistic aspects of lupus, including the relationship of the disease to the microbiome and environmental factors, but the IDEAL Initiative has the potential to provide some insight for these aspects. The IDEAL Initiative was created to answer questions among r.