Gaining a better understanding of how a rare autoimmune condition affects Indigenous Australians is the focus of research being undertaken by PhD candidate Dr Thomas Khoo, thanks to backing from The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Arthritis.
Myositis is a group of conditions where the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue, causing inflammation and weakness in the muscles.
It can also occur as a rare side effect of statins, a common medication used to lower cholesterol.
Through our Postgraduate Rheumatology Award, presented alongside the South Australian Branch of the Australian Rheumatology Association, Dr Khoo will explore why myositis is more prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders compared to non-Indigenous people.
Evidence suggests that Indigenous Australians are more at risk for statin-related muscle disease, but the reasons why are unknown.
Dr Khoo hopes that insight of how myositis effects Indigenous Australians will lead to more accurate predictions and better treatments.
“It would be fantastic if this research allowed us to adapt the ways that we approach myositis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples so that there are less delays to diagnosis, more effective treatment strategies, and better outcomes,” he said.
“Additionally, I hope that we can set up a resource for ongoing, future research into better understanding myositis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that might one day expand from SA to involve the whole country.”
Dr Khoo has spent the past year studying abroad with the Manchester Myositis Research Group, researching a rare myositis subset called anti-HMGCR myopathy.
It is this subset that is thought to occur more frequently in Indigenous Australians.
Dr Khoo said getting a better grasp on how anti-HMGCR myopathy impacts people and how it can be treated will give him a good base to start investigating how it is different in Indigenous Australians.
The Postgraduate Rheumatology Award supports postgraduates to conduct research projects which aim to improve the lives of people living with arthritis and associated musculoskeletal conditions.
“I am grateful for the support of this award in progressing my project, exploring opportunities that would otherwise not be feasible, and sharing research which aspires to meet a current unmet need in Australia,” he said.
We look forward to updating our donors on Dr Khoo’s research as it progresses.
