Q: Dr. Collins has spoken frequently on the leaps scientific discovery has taken in recent years. How encouraged are you about the possibility of autoimmune disease research moving forward?
A: We live in a period of tremendous opportunity in science, technology and medicine. I would encourage researchers to focus on what they see as the most exciting scientific questions. The AMP provides an excellent example of how technological advances enable researchers to ask and answer questions that we did not have the tools to address previously. New technologies to analyze single cells and small groups of cells, and the ability to develop computational tools to integrate different data types to understand the molecular pathways are particularly exciting.
The AMP is also a great model of how innovative partnerships are advancing research. It draws on the strengths of the public sector, industry and academic institutions to overcome many of the barriers that have impeded autoimmune disease research. AMP, both with the focus on disease tissues and the application of emerging technologies, is already influencing the landscape.
Q: Do you see cures as feasible for rheumatic and other autoimmune diseases? Or is strong management the area that needs to be focused on, and why?
A: Treatments for RA and lupus have typically focused on decreasing inflammation and pain by slowing down tissue damage and reducing complications. We believe that if we drill down on the single cells of the immune system and try to understand how they change during disease, we will be able to restore normal immune function and bring back quality of life, potentially even reversing the disease process in RA and lupus.
Q: What would you say to rheumatologists frustrated by rejected research grants because NIH has limited funding?
A: Each year, the NIH receives many worthy grant applications from talented researchers, but budgetary constraints prevent us from funding them all. Partnering with organizations that share our goals, including other government agencies, industry, patient groups and professional organizations, helps us extend our impact beyond our own resources and leverage our investments in research and training, which benefits everyone. With the AMP partnership, we are able to fund research that would not otherwise have been possible.
Professional organizations can also help augment opportunities for promising early-stage investigators who may need additional support to ensure steady footing on their career path. For example, the Rheumatology Research Foundation provides bridge funding to talented investigators who are in a transitional career period in which a steady stream of funding may not yet be available to them. These awards can help researchers stay the course of their chosen careers and, perhaps one day, make a significant discovery.
