How B cells and other immune cells drive psoriatic arthritis
Official title: Immune cell contributions to inflammatory arthritis
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11319902 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how certain immune B cells and other immune cells cause inflammation and joint damage in people with psoriatic arthritis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | April 10, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $647,571 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR084312-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319902 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with a confirmed diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, especially those with active joint inflammation, dactylitis, or enthesitis.
✕Less likely to help
People without psoriatic arthritis or with skin-only psoriasis, or those with unrelated forms of arthritis, are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This research uses a mouse model that closely mimics human psoriatic arthritis and compares those findings to cells and tissues seen in patients. Scientists will examine B cells, T cells, and antigen-presenting cells in inflamed joints and measure key inflammatory proteins such as IL-6 and IL-10. They will test what happens when B cells are reduced or shifted toward anti- or pro-inflammatory types and look for resulting changes in joint inflammation and bone erosion. Findings from the mice will be connected to observations from psoriatic arthritis patients to suggest targets for new treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to treat or prevent joint damage in psoriatic arthritis by targeting specific B cell types or their inflammatory signals.
How similar studies have gone: Some patients have shown improvement with B cell–targeting drugs like rituximab, but using a disease-mimicking mouse model to define exact B cell roles in psoriatic arthritis is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ward, Nicole Leanne — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ward, Nicole Leanne
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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.