$3 Million Grant Awarded to Develop Artificial Intelligence to Help Diagnose Lupus Nephritis

Recently, University of Houston researchers were awarded $3 million by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) system that will read and classify kidney biopsy results to more accurately diagnose lupus nephritis (LN, lupus-related kidney disease).

Diagnosing LN can be challenging. It typically requires a kidney biopsy, a painful and invasive procedure where a small piece of kidney tissue is collected and examined for signs of inflammation and damage. A pathologist then reads the biopsy report, but there are often differing interpretations of the results based on who reads the report. This research project aims to automate the classification of biopsy samples to aid in diagnostic accuracy. According to the researchers, using AI to train a ‘neural network’ to learn how to read and classify the biopsies will lead to higher accuracy and translate to better treatment of LN.

The use of AI is novel in lupus study. Its ability to detect and select patterns can make the technology useful for classifying disease, which could revolutionize diagnosis, treatment, and management of LN. Continue to follow the Lupus Foundation of American for developments stemming from this grant, as well as other news on lupus treatments and clinical trials.

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