The sets of experiments proposed in the RELENT work program employ a systems approach that aims at discovering novel immune signatures common to several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AAV, SLE, RA, GCA and IBD), exploring the pathways they engage in, defining their influence on acute and recurrent autoimmune injury and investigating how they lead to co-morbidities and whether and how they differ in man and women. Using a sequential but integrative approach of pre-clinical and clinical studies that examine molecular pathways, subsequent validation in vitro and in vivo and in patients with severe autoimmune disorders, RELENT will unravel pathophysiological mechanisms specific to autoimmune diseases, identify biomarkers that can be used to monitor disease progression but will also lead to the discovery of targets for personalized therapies for men and women minimizing the risk for chronic injury and co-morbidities.

Please see also more information on the impact on patients and their relatives, impact on health care, scientific and strategic impact, economic impact, impact on biomarker development and impact on public awareness.