Helping bones heal in rheumatoid arthritis
Official title: Novel approaches to promote healing of bone loss in inflammatory arthritis
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11286838 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a bone-targeted gene therapy to turn off a protein that blocks bone growth, aiming to help people with rheumatoid arthritis rebuild bone.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | March 14, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $474,777 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR078230-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286838 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with rheumatoid arthritis who have bone loss, joint erosions, or osteoporosis would be most relevant for sample donation or future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose bone loss is caused by non-inflammatory conditions or who are not eligible for gene-based therapies may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Rheumatoid arthritis causes joints to erode and can lead to widespread bone loss by over-activating bone-resorbing cells and suppressing bone-forming cells. Researchers discovered a protein called Schnurri-3 (SHN3) that prevents bone-building cells from working and is increased in people with RA. They will use a bone-targeted viral vector (rAAV) to lower SHN3 and test whether this boosts bone formation and heals joint erosions in lab studies and mouse models that mimic RA. The team already has early lab and animal data suggesting SHN3 reduction helps bone, and successful results could lead to patient sample collection and eventual clinical testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to treatments that rebuild bone, heal joint erosions, and reduce fractures and disability for people with RA.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies show that deleting SHN3 increases bone mass, and this bone-targeted AAV approach is a promising but relatively new preclinical strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shim, Jae-Hyuck — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Shim, Jae-Hyuck
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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.