Macrophages and inflammation in autoimmune arthritis
Official title: Activation of Macrophages in Human Autoimmune Diseases
Funded at Hospital for Special Surgery · NIH-11239974 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how macrophages (a type of immune cell) become 'trained' to produce inflammatory signals in people with autoimmune arthritis so better treatments can be developed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hospital for Special Surgery NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 1, 2000 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,071,328 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AI046712-26 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239974 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune arthritis who can provide blood or synovial tissue samples or attend research visits at the study center.
✕Less likely to help
People without autoimmune or inflammatory joint disease, or whose symptoms are due to non-immune causes, are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will study immune cells called macrophages taken from people with autoimmune arthritis, using samples such as blood and joint (synovial) tissue. They will apply high-resolution genomic and epigenetic tests to see how signals like interferon-gamma remodel chromatin and boost inflammatory genes such as TNF, IL6, and IL1B. Lab experiments will test how this 'priming' or 'training' makes macrophages more likely to drive joint inflammation. The team aims to link these cellular changes to disease activity and identify ways to block harmful macrophage activation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify new ways to reduce joint inflammation and prevent damage by blocking macrophage priming or the specific inflammatory signals they produce.
How similar studies have gone: Blocking cytokines like TNF has proven effective in arthritis, and genomic studies support macrophage 'training' as a contributor to disease, but targeting chromatin-based priming is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ivashkiv, Lionel B — Hospital for Special Surgery
- Study coordinator: Ivashkiv, Lionel B
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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.