UMass Chan enrolling patients in $3.8M autoimmune disease clinical trial
Photo | Timothy Doyle
UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester
Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester are leading a $3.75 million clinical trial into factors that may predispose individuals to vitiligo, a disease that causes the loss of skin pigment in patches. The trial will be funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Maryland.
The study aims to identify genetic, molecular, and biological signs for the development of the autoimmune disease. UMass Chan researchers leading the study hope to identify events that predate disease progression or predict severity, according to a Thursday announcement from the medical school.
Results of the study may be used in research for other autoimmune diseases, according to the announcement. The clinical trials will take place over the next five years.
The study will be conducted entirely remotely, according to the announcement. An estimated 1,000 patients will be enrolled, and they will be mailed sample-collecting kits biannually to self-collect and return to researchers. Saliva samples will be genetically tested, and test strips that collect skin samples will be analyzed for biomarkers, according to the announcement.
Some 200 of the study participants will be individuals who have vitiligo. The remaining enrollees will be at-risk family members. Researchers expect approximately 50 of the at-risk enrollees will develop vitiligo at some point during the study, according to the announcement.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is an institute within the National Institutes of Health.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments