Mammograms save lives by detecting breast cancer early. Blood pressure checks help identify people at risk for stroke and heart disease. BRI has a vision for similar screenings for autoimmune diseases, which could help people understand their risk earlier and lead to better outcomes.

Making Screenings Part of Primary Care

This study builds on years of research at BRI and other institutes, which revealed that proteins called autoantibodies appear in the blood long before certain autoimmune diseases develop.

A simple blood test can detect autoantibodies for T1D, RA, and celiac disease. And while screening for T1D has been going on for years as part of research, screening for T1D or any other autoimmune disease has not generally been part of primary care.

“Our question is how to integrate that test into primary care so patients and providers have information about the risk of autoimmune disease as early and as easily as possible,” Dr. Speake says.

To answer that question, the research team is now doing pilot tests to figure out the best way to screen patients for autoimmune diseases at two Virginia Mason Franciscan Health clinics.

“What’s most exciting for me is that once the study is complete, we can take what we learn and eventually make it a standard part of primary care. This could help vast numbers of people across the country start treatment early — and avoid dire complications like diabetic ketoacidosis in T1D,” says BRI President Jane Buckner, MD.

Steps Toward Prevention

This study moves BRI one step closer to finding ways to prevent autoimmune diseases. In T1D, early screening led to clinical trials. Clinical trials led to the approval of teplizumab, the first therapy able to delay the onset of T1D and any autoimmune disease.

“Now, we’re seeking therapies that can delay T1D for longer and maybe someday prevent it altogether,” Dr. Speake says. “And while we don’t have approved therapies to prevent RA and other diseases just yet, this type of study is an important step toward making that happen.”