Lupus Research Alliance Launches Landmark Initiative: Lupus Nexus Foundational Analyses
New York, NY — May 2025 — The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the world’s largest non-governmental, nonprofit funder of lupus research, has launched a major scientific initiative: the Lupus Nexus Foundational Analyses. This ambitious project aims to create one of the most comprehensive and accessible lupus research datasets ever assembled.
Key Highlights
- Purpose: Generate molecular datasets using biospecimens from the Lupus Landmark Study, a cornerstone of the Lupus Nexus.
- Scope: Integrate molecular data with robust clinical information, including:
- Clinician-reported outcomes
- Patient-reported outcomes
- Significance: First effort of this scale by a private nonprofit in the lupus research field.
About Lupus and the Research Challenge
- Lupus is a complex, chronic autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs.
- The disease presents differently in each individual, making diagnosis and treatment highly variable.
- Despite decades of research, personalized treatment options remain limited due to gaps in understanding disease heterogeneity.
About the Lupus Nexus
Launched in 2023, the Lupus Nexus is a unique:
- Registry
- Biorepository
- Information exchange platform: DREAM (Data Repository, Exchange and Analytics platforM)
Objective: Catalyze lupus research and accelerate the development of precision medicine strategies.
Foundational Analyses: A Major Milestone
Conducted in collaboration with:
- Azenta
- Cmbio (formerly CosmosID)
- iRepertoire
- LabCorp
- MitogenDx/University of Calgary
- Sano Genetics
- Standard BioTools
Scientific Components:
- Whole genome sequencing
- RNA sequencing
- Proteomics
- Microbiome profiling
What makes this unique:
- Integration of multiple scientific data types with detailed real-world clinical data.
Expert Perspectives
The Foundational Analyses are a bold investment in the future of lupus research and a major milestone for the Lupus Nexus,”
— Devon Kelly, Director of the Lupus Nexus, LRA
By pairing molecular analyses with clinical context, we’re giving scientists the tools they need to generate new hypotheses and ultimately drive meaningful breakthroughs for people living with lupus.
Now, with the addition of Foundational Analyses, researchers will, for the first time, have access to molecular data integrated with real-world data.”
— Virginia Pascual, M.D., Gale and Ira Drukier Director of Children’s Health Research, Weill Cornell Medical College
Data Access and Timeline
- Initial datasets will be available through DREAM by the end of 2025.
- Additional releases to follow in subsequent years.
- Researchers will gain access to:
- All raw data from Foundational Analyses
- Data generated from custom studies using Lupus Nexus biospecimens
Initial Presentation
• First data presented at:
16th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LUPUS 2025)
Location: Toronto
- Date: May 20, 2025
- Abstract: #PV153
- Understanding Lupus
- Affects millions globally.
- Caused by autoantibodies attacking the body’s own tissues.
- Can damage:
- Kidneys
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
- Skin
- Blood
- Joints
- 90% of patients are women, typically aged 15–45.
- Disproportionately impacts Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander populations.
About the Lupus Research Alliance
- World’s largest nonprofit funder of lupus research
- Mission: Transform treatment and find a cure
- Approach:
- Fund innovative science
- Support top research talent
- Advance discovery for better diagnostics and therapies
