Cancer risk in inflammatory muscle disease (myositis)
Prediction and Significance of Cancer in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis
This project looks for signs in people with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies that show whether they have or might develop cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174212 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a research effort focused on people with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) to find blood markers and clinical clues linked to cancer. The team will study myositis-specific autoantibodies, clinical records, and tumor information to see who develops cancer and how cancer emergence or removal affects myositis. Researchers will compare patients who get cancer to those who do not and use existing clinic samples and cohort data from Johns Hopkins and partner sites. The goal is to improve when and how patients are screened so fewer people get unnecessary tests and serious cancers are found earlier.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (myositis), especially those newly diagnosed or with known myositis-specific autoantibodies, would be the best candidates.
Not a fit: People without myositis or those long past the typical cancer-risk window for their myositis are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help tailor cancer screening for people with myositis so that fewer patients undergo unnecessary tests while cancers are detected sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked certain myositis autoantibodies to higher cancer risk, but most patients with high-risk antibodies never develop cancer, so prediction has been limited.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mecoli, Christopher — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Mecoli, Christopher
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.