Investigating a new target for treating lupus
Official title: HIPK1: a new immunomodulatory target for SLE
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-10893550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a protein called HIPK1 affects the immune system in people with lupus, with the hope of finding new ways to help manage the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 25, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $222,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI176225-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10893550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other autoimmune diseases not related to SLE may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores the role of the HIPK1 kinase in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex autoimmune disease. By examining the 3D structure of the genome in immune cells, the study aims to understand how HIPK1 influences T cell differentiation and antibody responses. Researchers will employ genetic and pharmacologic methods in both human and mouse models to assess the impact of HIPK1 on SLE pathophysiology. The goal is to uncover new immunomodulatory strategies for managing lupus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative treatments that improve the management of systemic lupus erythematosus.
How similar studies have gone: While HIPK1 has been studied in cancer, its role in immunity and SLE is novel and has not been previously explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wells, Andrew D — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Wells, Andrew D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Emotional and biobehavioral links in parent-infant closeness
A program to understand how parent and baby feel and react to each other in early life, with the goal of guiding better child social and emotional development.
-
Leukodystrophy Clinical Careers and Mentorship Network
A program to train, mentor, and support clinicians and researchers to advance care for people with leukodystrophies.
-
Role of ATP1A3 mutations in sudden death related to epilepsy
Aims to understand how ATP1A3 gene changes may lead to sudden death in kids with epilepsy and is exploring new ways to prevent it.
-
Kids First Data Resource Center: cloud-enabled data sharing for childhood cancer research
A data resource project that makes pediatric cancer data and analyses more accessible to researchers, with the goal of advancing understanding and care for children with cancer.
-
PROMISE: A Network for Real-World Evidence in Rare Pediatric Cancers
A network will collect and harmonize pediatric cancer patient records from multiple centers to create high-quality real-world data that can support quicker, regulatory-ready insights when randomized trials aren’t feasible.
-
Data Hub Core for Down syndrome research
A data hub project is building a big, interoperable platform to securely share and analyze information from people with Down syndrome and related conditions.
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.