How pregnancy changes gene activity in rheumatoid arthritis
Official title: The Pregnancy Transcriptome in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Renewal
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11133211 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at gene activity in women with rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy to find signals that predict who will improve or worsen.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $676,608 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AR073111-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11133211 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with rheumatoid arthritis who are planning pregnancy or are in early pregnancy would be the ideal candidates for participation.
✕Less likely to help
People without rheumatoid arthritis, men, or women not planning pregnancy are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you are a woman with rheumatoid arthritis planning pregnancy or already pregnant, researchers will collect blood samples before and during pregnancy to measure gene activity and other molecular markers. They will compare people who naturally get better in pregnancy with those who do not to find patterns that predict outcomes. The team uses advanced 'omics' tools to read immune cell activity and identify biomarkers and potential targets for new treatments. Findings aim to help doctors tailor care during pregnancy and inspire therapies that mimic pregnancy's protective effects without its risks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could enable prediction of who will improve or worsen during pregnancy and point to new treatments that reproduce pregnancy's helpful effects without pregnancy-related risks.
How similar studies have gone: Clinicians have long observed pregnancy-linked improvement in RA, but applying pregnancy transcriptomics to predict outcomes and find drug targets is relatively new with limited prior successes.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jawaheer, Damini — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Jawaheer, Damini
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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.