Childhood lupus — finding immune triggers and better blood tests
Official title: Principal Project
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11520806 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find immune cell patterns and blood markers in children with lupus to help match them to the right treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2019 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $344,169 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI144301-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11520806 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents diagnosed with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus, especially those with active disease or lupus nephritis, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without SLE or patients unwilling to provide blood samples or undergo study visits would not directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would be part of work that looks closely at immune cells in the blood, especially CD4+ T cells, to see which patterns link to more severe disease. Researchers will use blood samples and molecular profiling to find signatures tied to disease activity and lupus kidney involvement. The team plans to group patients by these immune drivers so future treatments can be targeted to the right people. The effort builds on earlier findings about a new helper T cell type and other transcriptomic signals in childhood-onset SLE.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to blood tests and patient groups that guide more personalized and effective lupus treatments for children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have found immune signatures and subtypes in lupus and this project builds on promising earlier findings, but translating signatures into effective therapies has had mixed success so far.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pascual, Maria Virginia — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Pascual, Maria Virginia
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.