# Monitoring Disease in Lupus

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2021 · $525,718

## Abstract

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease resulting in inflammation in multiple organ systems. The disease
course is very variable and unpredictable. There is a definite clinical need for better biomarkers for monitoring
this disease, particularly renal disease. The current tools available for monitoring lupus and end-organ
involvement are not optimal. More reliable tools that detect early disease are warranted. Early detection and
prompt treatment can have significant impact on morbidity and disease course. There is also a need for better
biomarkers that can be used to assess treatment response in clinical trials. Our completed studies using a
couple of targeted proteomic platforms have uncovered several serum or urine proteins that are elevated in
lupus patients with elevated SLE disease activity index. From our completed studies, and newly proposed
targeted proteomic screens, we will assemble a panel of about 40 serum or urine biomarkers. We will ascertain
if these novel biomarkers have the potential to identify lupus patients with active renal disease, monitor disease
activity serially, predict treatment response or project long-term outcome in these patients. Besides their
biomarker potential, the protein markers examined in this proposal may also constitute therapeutic targets as
they exhibit a variety of interesting functional attributes. Better non-invasive biomarkers can significantly
improve disease management in patients with lupus nephritis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10129282
- **Project number:** 5R01AR074096-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** CHANDRA MOHAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $525,718
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-08 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10129282

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10129282, Monitoring Disease in Lupus (5R01AR074096-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10129282. Licensed CC0.

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