International grant to transform autoimmune disease diagnosis

Associate Professor Stuart Mannering, Head of SVI’s Human Immunology Lab, has received a First Common Mechanisms of Autoimmunity Insight Award.

The grant is supported by Breakthrough T1D, the National MS Society and the Lupus Research Alliance.

The US$150,000 funding will accelerate his team’s work to develop a simple blood test that could transform diagnosis across multiple autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) arise when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.

While each condition looks different, they share a common culprit: CD4⁺ “helper” T cells, which play a central role in driving disease.

Stuart’s team has created a new blood test for type 1 diabetes that, for the first time, can sensitively measure rare T cells that target the insulin-secreting cells found in the pancreas.

Unlike existing tests that focus only on autoantibodies, this tool can directly track the helper T cells that drive the damage.

The strength of the test is its simplicity and sensitivity: it is very easy to perform, yet it can detect very rare CD4⁺ T-cell responses in just a few millilitres of blood. This makes it ideal for use in clinical settings.

Stuart’s new project seeks to expand the capability of the test to cover MS and SLE.

Working with colleagues from Monash University, Monash Health and the Alfred, the team also aim to build on their existing type 1 diabetes test to include other important antigens and create a broader, more powerful diagnostic tool.

“This project will deliver a diagnostic tool with impact across three major autoimmune diseases,” said Stuart.

“We anticipate that this will greatly facilitate diagnosis, particularly distinguishing closely related autoimmune diseases. This will in turn arm physicians with more information, empowering them to prescribe better treatments.”

The Common Mechanisms of Autoimmunity Insight Award is designed to break down silos in autoimmunity research by encouraging scientists to explore shared immune pathways. It also seeks to speed up the path from lab discovery to patient care.

With autoimmune diseases affecting millions worldwide, this project represents an important step toward earlier diagnosis.

“By helping doctors better diagnose and monitor patients, and by giving scientists a clearer window into the immune system’s mistakes, we can move faster towards better outcomes for those suffering.”