The remit of the Immunology & Inflammation Specialty Group is to support a national portfolio of structured research studies that will enhance our understanding of normal immune function and diseases resulting from disordered immune function. This includes the aetiopathogenesis, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of autoimmune diseases, allergies, immune deficiencies and other conditions including transplant rejection, and the study of responses to immunisation for the prevention of infection.The Group has broad geographical coverage, with 13 of the 25 Comprehensive Local Research Networks having nominated a lead in this area as well as representatives from Scotland and Wales.One of the main purposes of the Specialty Group is to ensure that there is adequate research infrastructure within the specialty in centres that are able to undertake high quality clinical research studies in immunology and inflammation. This will enable them to deliver to target, including commercial studies that are likely to increase in number with the development of new biological therapies for autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases and new vaccines.
The Immunology & Inflammation Specialty Group’s portfolio is divided in to 5 main groups, each of which can be further subdivided: Autoimmune, Allergy, Hypersensitivity, drug reactions, normal immune development, immunodeficiency, infections, immunisations, other immunological/inflammatory conditions including transplant rejection.
There is overlap between the Immunology & Inflammation Specialty Group and some of the other Specialty Groups.In general, the autoimmune and other immunological/inflammatory conditions will be co-adoped by the Speciality Group(s) that manage the specific body system(s) affected by the disease such as renal, musculoskeletal, neurological, ophthalmological etc. Many of the allergy and hypersensitivity studies led by the Immunology and Inflammation Specialty Group will be co-adopted by the Respiratory Specialty Group and the immunodeficiency, infections and immunisations group will be co-adopted by the Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Specialty Group.
The Inflammation & Immunology Specialty Group will work closely with relevant national academic societies such as Arthritis Research UK (formerly Arthritis Research Campaign, arc) and their autoimmune Clinical Studies Group, the British Renal Association, the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group, British Society for Rheumatology, British Society for Immunology, Allergy UK and other organisations that are involved in research strategy to promote the successful delivery of research studies and to help plan new studies that will address patient needs and that will be feasible to deliver in the current NHS setting.
Visit the National Immunology & Inflammation Specialty Group web page for further information.
Specialty Group Leads: Dr Mohammed Ibrahim
