Environment and autoimmune diseases in tribal communities
Official title: Environmental Influences Driving Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Disease in Tribal Members
Funded at Cherokee Nation · NIH-11163420 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how environmental factors, infections like COVID-19, and vitamin D levels relate to autoantibodies and autoimmune rheumatic diseases in Native American tribal members.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cherokee Nation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tahlequah, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $375,258 |
| NIH project number | 5S06GM146122-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11163420 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are Native American tribal members, including those with rheumatic symptoms or a family history of autoimmune disease, likely recruited through the Cherokee Nation region.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not tribal members or who do not have or face risk for autoimmune rheumatic disease are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will work with the Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation to collect health information and blood samples from tribal members with and without rheumatic disease. They will measure autoantibodies, vitamin D levels, cytokine (immune) signatures, and records of infections such as COVID-19. The team will compare these markers between people who have rheumatic diseases and those who do not to find patterns unique to Native American populations. Their goal is to link environmental exposures and infections to the presence of autoantibodies and disease risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could help doctors diagnose and manage autoimmune rheumatic diseases more accurately for tribal members.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown unusual autoantibody and immune patterns in Native American populations, but linking environmental exposures and COVID-19 to autoimmunity in these communities is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Cherokee Nation
Tahlequah, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: James, Judith a — Cherokee Nation
- Study coordinator: James, Judith a
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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.