New methods to help bones heal in people with inflammatory arthritis
Official title: Novel approaches to promote healing of bone loss in inflammatory arthritis
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11042707 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for new ways to help people with rheumatoid arthritis heal their bones better by blocking a protein that stops bone growth, and it aims to see if this treatment can improve bone health for those affected by the condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | March 14, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $511,095 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR078230-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11042707 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis who are experiencing bone loss.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without rheumatoid arthritis or those who do not have significant bone loss may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing new treatments to promote bone healing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition that causes significant bone loss. The study investigates the role of a specific protein, Schnurri-3 (SHN3), which inhibits bone formation, and aims to inhibit this protein to enhance bone-building cells. By using a specialized viral vector to target SHN3, the researchers hope to prevent or treat bone loss associated with RA. Patients will be monitored to assess the effectiveness of this approach in improving bone health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapies that significantly improve bone health and reduce complications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in targeting similar pathways for bone health, indicating potential for success in this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shim, Jae-Hyuck — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Shim, Jae-Hyuck
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Helping bones heal in rheumatoid arthritis
This project uses a bone-targeted gene therapy to turn off a protein that blocks bone growth, aiming to help people with rheumatoid arthritis rebuild bone.
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Understanding how immune checkpoint drugs can trigger inflammatory arthritis in cancer patients
This research looks at why some cancer patients develop inflammatory arthritis after PD-1 inhibitor therapy and what could be done to prevent it.
-
Antenatal DMARD Use and Mother-Child Health in Women with Chronic Inflammatory Arthritis
This project aims to understand how continuing pregnancy-safe arthritis medicines during pregnancy affects health outcomes for mothers with chronic inflammatory arthritis and their babies.
-
Gut barrier and antibiotics: how gut health affects inflammatory arthritis
Antibiotic use may increase the risk of inflammatory arthritis by changing the gut, and this project looks at how those gut changes influence joint inflammation in people with arthritis.
-
ctDNA biomarker to guide safety of cancer immunotherapy in inflammatory arthritis
A patient-facing biomarker study using a blood test to detect tumor DNA in people with cancer who develop inflammatory arthritis from immunotherapy, to help doctors pick safer treatment choices.
-
Setbp1’s role in how joint cells behave during inflammatory arthritis
This project looks at how a protein called SETBP1 affects delicate joint cells (FLS) that drive inflammation in arthritis, with potential implications for better treatments.
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.