Immune-directed probiotic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
Official title: A Novel Immunological-Directed Biotherapy for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis
Funded at Rise Therapeutics, LLC · NIH-11109650 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An oral probiotic using Lactococcus lactis is being developed to calm harmful immune attacks in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rise Therapeutics, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rockville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 4, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $952,967 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AG084484-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109650 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those who do not respond to or who relapse after TNF-blocking treatments, would be the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-autoimmune joint conditions (such as osteoarthritis), those with active serious infections, or individuals who cannot take probiotic-based treatments may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops an oral Lactococcus lactis probiotic engineered to boost autoantigen-specific regulatory T cells and promote immune tolerance in rheumatoid arthritis. By promoting bystander tolerance the approach aims to switch off the immune response against joint tissue and rebalance inflammatory cells to prevent relapses. Work includes preclinical testing in animal models and lab assays focused on TNF-α and anti-citrullinated protein antibody pathways, with the goal of advancing toward human testing. If preclinical results are favorable, the company plans to move the therapy into clinical trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this oral therapy could reduce joint inflammation, lower dependence on long-term biologic drugs, and decrease risks associated with chronic immunosuppression.
How similar studies have gone: Oral antigen delivery and Treg-enhancing approaches have shown promise in animal studies but have had limited and mixed success in human trials to date.
Where this research is happening
-
Rise Therapeutics, LLC
Rockville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fanger, Gary — Rise Therapeutics, LLC
- Study coordinator: Fanger, Gary
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Gut microbes and methotrexate: boosting RA treatment through microbiome targets
Researchers are studying how gut bacteria affect how well methotrexate works for people with rheumatoid arthritis, aiming to make MTX effective for more patients.
-
Hybrid biomaterial system to boost immunotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis
A new, patient-facing immunotherapy approach uses specialized particles to retrain the immune system to calm RA in adults.
-
Role of Stabilin receptors in rheumatoid arthritis
A short study to understand how certain scavenger receptors may influence the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.
-
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.
-
Risk factors and biomarkers for progression of subclinical RA-related lung disease
This study follows people with rheumatoid arthritis to understand who develops lung disease and what biomarkers predict it.
-
Pregnancy changes in rheumatoid arthritis and new treatment ideas
This research seeks to understand why some women’s rheumatoid arthritis improves during pregnancy and how to predict and mimic that effect to make treatments safer and more effective for pregnant patients.
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.