The Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Biology portfolio primarily supports basic, translational, and clinical studies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and autoimmune myositis.  Within SLE, autoimmune myositis, and related diseases, areas of focus include:

• Animal models of disease;
• Animal model-based genetic studies to discover and evaluate candidate susceptibility genes;
• Involvement of the innate and adaptive immune system on the initiation and propagation of disease;
• Immune cell development, differentiation, homeostasis, and tolerance;
• Molecular mechanisms that incite or dampen inflammation;
• Role of Fc gamma receptors and immune complexes on disease etiology and pathology;
• The contribution of dysregulated cellular processes (e.g., citrullination, programmed cell death, autophagy, unfolded protein response, mitochondrial dysfunction) and altered metabolism in development and progression of diseases;
• Neural regulation of immunity and inflammation and the therapeutic implications of those mechanistic insights for disease (e.g., neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE))
• Mechanisms of end-organ damage, including the pathophysiology of disease-associated autoantibodies;
• Mechanisms by which sex-specific and non-sex-specific factors play a role in female predominance of disease;
• Basic, translational, and clinical research on treatments.