AVERT

In people with autoimmune disease, the immune system is incorrectly activated so that, rather than deploying its weaponry to remove an infection, it causes organ destruction. An individual’s susceptibility to autoimmune disease is partly mediated by their genetic make-up, but the trigger is something in the individual’s environment. The triggers for a specific autoimmune disease are generally unknown. If we can discover what these are, we will be able to predict autoimmune disease risk and potentially devise ways in which the trigger can be avoided.

In most cases of autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks an individual’s own body, the condition flares repeatedly over time. For example, in ANCA vasculitis, half of sufferers have a flare within 5 years. This requires the use of powerful medications, which cause infection by suppressing the immune system.

We bring together physicians, patients, computer scientists and artificial intelligence expertise to create a system that learns over time about the impact of the environment on disease flare, with the goal of creating a clinical support tool and an intelligent smartphone app that will empower the patient in managing their own condition.

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