Johns Hopkins Autoimmunity Center of Excellence
This project tests targeted immune therapies—dalazatide for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and ublituximab for people with active, autoantibody-positive myositis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145725 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a program that uses drugs designed to calm specific overactive immune cells that drive different autoimmune diseases. For secondary progressive MS, researchers will give dalazatide to block the Kv1.3 channel on effector-memory T cells and study effects with advanced imaging, blood biomarkers, and immune testing. For autoantibody-positive myositis, there is a randomized, double-blind Phase 2 trial of a next-generation anti-CD20 drug, ublituximab, given early in active disease. The team aims to link which immune cells cause damage with whether these targeted treatments help, and findings could shape care for other autoimmune conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates include people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis for the dalazatide work and people with active, autoantibody-positive myositis (excluding inclusion body myositis) for the ublituximab trial.
Not a fit: People without these specific diagnoses, those with inactive disease, or those with inclusion body myositis are unlikely to benefit from these trial treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could reduce harmful immune activity, slow disease progression in SPMS, and improve muscle and functional outcomes in autoantibody-positive myositis.
How similar studies have performed: B-cell depleting therapies have shown benefit in some myositis patients in prior studies, while Kv1.3 blockade for targeting effector-memory T cells is a more novel and experimental approach with limited prior human data.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paik, Julie Jisun — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Paik, Julie Jisun
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.