MCRC for Rheumatic Diseases in African Americans

南卡罗来纳医科大学多学科临床研究中心的目标是提高对患有系统性红斑狼疮、系统性硬化症和其他使人衰弱的风湿性疾病的非裔美国人的认识。该中心建立在风湿病学、生物统计学和健康差异研究领域强大的领导地位，以及信任和招募非裔美国患者进行临床研究的良好记录的基础上。该中心的目标是：1)开展和促进转化临床研究，以改进诊断、管理，并最终减少或消除非洲裔美国人在衰弱性风湿病方面的健康差距；2)专注于识别和理解非洲裔美国人风险概况和疾病进展差异的潜在原因；3)向患者和家属、医疗保健提供者、公众、调查人员和其他学术卫生中心和政府机构的卫生专业人员提供信息和教育。

The objective of this Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is the advancement of knowledge with respect to African Americans who have, or who are at risk of developing, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and other debilitating rheumatic diseases. The Center is built on a solid framework of strong leadership in Rheumatology, Biostatistics and Health Disparities Research coupled with trust and a proven track record of recruitment of African American patients for clinical research. Objectives of the Center are to: 1) conduct and foster translational clinical research leading to improved diagnosis, management and ultimately a reduction or elimination of health disparities with respect to debilitating rheumatic diseases in African Americans; 2) focus on identifying and understanding the underlying reasons for differences in risk profiles and disease progression for African Americans; 3) provide information and education to patients and families, healthcare providers, the general public, investigators and health professionals at other academic health centers and government agencies. We propose two innovative, high impact projects supported by three cores. Project 1 will investigate a genetic variant observed in African American SSc patients likely to be responsible for their higher severity of pulmonary fibrosis. This is highly significant given the morbidity and mortality rates, especially related to lung disease, in these patients. Project 2 addresses another significant health disparity, the increasing prevalence of lupus among African American women. The Sea Island Gullah people of South Carolina and individuals living in the Gullah ancestral home of Sierra Leone provide a novel opportunity to study genetic, environmental and epigenetic differences that might identify key factors associated with the development of SLE in African Americans. These two projects and future pilot projects will be served by three cores: (1) a Methodology Core will provide rigorous methodological and biostatistical support; (2) a Patient Resource Core will assure investigators access to patients and biological samples from SSc and SLE patients enriched with African Americans; (3) an Administrative Core will coordinate the work of the Center through planning, development, coordination and overall administration. With a sustained commitment of strong institutional support and through a robust pilot project program, this MCRC will attract and nurture young investigators with research interests in minority health and rheumatic diseases.