12 Sep 2012
2006-2007 Defining Genetics of RA in African Americans Damini Jawaheer, Ph.D. UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Los Angeles, CA Variations in Candidate Gene Polymorphisms Associated with RA in African Americans This is a genetic study of African Americans with RA. Dr. Jawaheer will test and map...
12 Sep 2012
2006-2007 DRAK2: Target for New Therapy Martina Gatzka, M.D. University of California Irvine, CA Modulation of central and peripheral immunological tolerance by DRAK2, a negative regulator of lymphocyte signaling When T lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, cannot distinguish between self and non-self tissues, they contribute to inflammation...
12 Sep 2012
2006-2007 Arthritis and Growth in Children Hulya Bukulmez, M.D. Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Does disruption of the C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) signaling pathway cause cartilage degradation and growth retardation in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis? Dr. Bukulmez is studying the effect of chronic arthritis on a child’s growth. The...
12 Sep 2012
2006-2007 Enzyme Predisposes to Autoimmune Disorders Nunzio Bottini, M.D. University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA PTPN22: Enzymology of an Autoimmune-Predisposing Tyrosine Phosphate Variant Bottini’s laboratory is studying an enzyme called lymphoid phosphatase, which acts as a critical gatekeeper of the activation of immune cells. Individuals carrying a particular...
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 Focusing on the Cause of OA Noboru Taniguchi, M.D., Ph.D. The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA A novel chromatin protein involved in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent joint disease. It begins with disruption of the cartilage surface and leads to progressive cartilage damage....
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 New OA Therapy Could Halt Cartilage Destruction Ilse-Gerlinde Sunk, M.D. Harvard School of Dental Medicine Boston, MA Effect of discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) deficiency on osteoarthritis progression in a surgically induced OA mouse model Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common rheumatic disease, is the major cause of disability...
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 T Cells: Using Your Own Cells to Fight Lupus Brian Skaggs, Ph.D. University of California Los Angeles, CA Understanding the crosstalk between TGFß and Foxp3 in regulatory T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus-prone mice Antibodies produced by immune cells in lupus patients inappropriately bind to many different self-molecules,...
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 Genetic Factors in Lupus Amr Sawalha, M.D. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK CD40L overexpression in lupus T cells Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic, relapsing autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs including the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys and brain. The disease...
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 Understanding the Defective Immune System Ziaur Rahman, M.D., Ph.D. Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Impact of lupus susceptibility loci on peripheral B cell tolerance The human immune system is wonderfully efficient and complex. This system develops weapons, called antibodies, to use against viral and bacterial infections. When antibodies...
12 Sep 2012
2007-2008 From Stem Cells to Cartilage Repair Audrey McAlinden, Ph.D. Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO Induction of articular (hyaline) cartilage differentiation from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells Articular cartilage is an essential component of our joints, providing a lubricating, low-friction, gliding surface. This tissue contains no...
