Immune targets and cells driving IgG4-related disease
Principal Project
This project looks for the specific antibodies and immune cells that cause inflammation and scarring in people with IgG4-related disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323978 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are searching for the proteins (autoantigens) that the immune system mistakenly attacks in IgG4-related disease and for the antibodies and B cells that recognize them. They use large protein arrays and lab tests (LIPS and ELISA) to discover and confirm autoantibodies, and dual-labeling to find the specific B cells in blood and tissue. Small overlapping peptides from key proteins will be used to activate T cells so the team can study these cells by flow cytometry and gene-expression (transcriptomics) analysis. Tissue imaging will show how these adaptive immune cells drive inflammation and fibrosis and how antigen patterns change at diagnosis and during relapse after B cell-depleting therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with IgG4-related disease, especially those willing to provide blood or tissue samples or who have had or may receive B cell-depleting therapy, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without IgG4-related disease or those unable or unwilling to give blood or tissue samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better blood tests to track disease activity and new treatments that prevent relapse and organ scarring.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has suggested autoantibodies and cytotoxic CD4+ T cells play roles in IgG4-related disease, but precisely identifying the driving antigens and relapse mechanisms is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pillai, Shiv Subramaniam — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Pillai, Shiv Subramaniam
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 below.