How obesity-related inflammation affects biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
Official title: Obesity-Induced Inflammatory Mediators Predict Lack of Response in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Starting Biological Therapies
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11171472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether obesity-linked proteins and lipids explain why some people with rheumatoid arthritis don't improve after starting biologic medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $440,563 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR083584-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with rheumatoid arthritis who are about to start or have just started a biologic therapy, including those with overweight or obesity, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without rheumatoid arthritis or RA patients who are not starting biologic treatment (for example on stable non-biologic therapy) are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect blood samples when you start a biologic and measure obesity-related proteins (like adipokines) and fatty-acid–derived lipid mediators. They will combine multiple markers into biomarker "signatures" and compare those patterns with how well people respond to their biologic medicines over time. The team will also consider body-weight and other clinical factors to see which combinations predict poor treatment response. The goal is to develop tests that could help doctors choose the best biologic for each person with RA.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could help match people with rheumatoid arthritis to biologic drugs they're most likely to benefit from, reducing trial-and-error treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown links between higher body weight and worse RA outcomes and early biomarker approaches are promising, but reliable biomarker signatures for predicting biologic response are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guma, Monica — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Guma, Monica
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Obesity-related inflammatory signals predicting treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis patients starting biologics
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How obesity-related inflammation affects treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis patients
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Gut microbes and methotrexate: boosting RA treatment through microbiome targets
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IgG glycosylation and endothelial FcγRIIB: understanding RA-related heart and blood vessel disease
This project looks at how rheumatoid arthritis affects blood vessels and clotting, with the goal of uncovering new ways to prevent heart and stroke risk for people with RA.
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.