For five years, researchers at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology have been part of a pioneering research initiative that hopes to change the way immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, are treated. The initiative, called the DocTIS Project (“Decision on Combinatorial Therapies in Immune-Mediated disease using Systemic approaches”), is entering its final year, with a focus on a clinical trial to confirm the promising results obtained from five years of research. 

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) occur when the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue and organ damage. These conditions significantly impact quality of life, increase the risk of developing further health problems, and can even shorten life expectancy. IMIDs are chronic diseases requiring lifelong treatments. They affect between five to seven percent of people in developed nations. Some studies suggest their incidence is rising, potentially due to environmental factors, lifestyle changes, and improved diagnostic methods. IMIDs are notably more common in women, who are up to ten times more likely to be diagnosed.  

Advancements in IMID therapies have been considerable in recent years. However, a significant challenge remains: many patients experience inadequate responses or a decline in treatment effectiveness over time. This often results in treatment discontinuation and a frustrating search for alternatives. 

The DocTIS project, funded by the European Union, was launched five years ago to directly address the critical need for more effective, personalized treatments for IMIDs. By focusing on identifying synergistic combinations of existing drugs, DocTIS aims to revolutionize treatment outcomes for six prevalent IMIDs: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Researchers in the DocTIS project have access to samples and clinical data from IMID patients through the IMID Consortium, a network of researchers studying these diseases that involves more than 100 clinical departments across Spain. Using these high-quality samples stored at VHIR’s IMID-Biobank, DocTIS researchers generated multi-omics data and employed advanced computational biology methods to predict synergistic drug combinations. Following successful preclinical validation in animal models, the project has advanced to its final stage: a 2025 clinical trial across UK and Spanish medical centers to validate these promising therapeutic strategies in IMID patients.

“We are confident that the trial will confirm that the methodology developed by DocTIS researchers is a valuable tool for identifying synergistic drug combinations in common diseases. Ultimately, this advance will lead to a significant improvement in the quality of life for millions of patients”, says Dr. Sara Marsal, head of the Rheumatology Service at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, principal researcher at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and Coordinator of the DocTIS project.

For HudsonAlpha’s part, Richard M. Myers, PhD, HudsonAlpha’s Chief Scientific Officer, President emeritus, M. A. Loya Chair in Genomics, and Faculty Investigator, and his lab brought their genomics expertise to the multi-national team. They led a significant part of the genomic analysis to help identify and develop personalized biomarkers that could predict the clinical response to combination therapies.