Pregnancy changes in rheumatoid arthritis and new treatment ideas
Official title: The Pregnancy Transcriptome in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Renewal
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11404945 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research seeks to understand why some women’s rheumatoid arthritis improves during pregnancy and how to predict and mimic that effect to make treatments safer and more effective for pregnant patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $628,529 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR073111-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404945 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with rheumatoid arthritis who are planning pregnancy or are pregnant.
✕Less likely to help
Non-pregnant individuals with RA or those not considering pregnancy may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at Northwestern University will study how pregnancy affects rheumatoid arthritis using advanced genetics and molecular profiling. They aim to identify biomarkers before pregnancy and uncover how pregnancy alters the disease, which could lead to targeted therapies with fewer side effects. The study builds on prior work and uses modern omics techniques to pinpoint why some patients improve while others do not. The ultimate goal is to develop better, pregnancy-informed treatments that mimic natural improvements without harming mother or baby.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could enable personalized RA treatment for pregnant women and guide development of safer therapies that replicate pregnancy-related improvements.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown pregnancy can change RA activity, but predictive biomarkers and mechanisms remain to be clarified, making this approach promising but not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jawaheer, Damini — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Jawaheer, Damini
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How pregnancy changes gene activity in rheumatoid arthritis
This project looks at gene activity in women with rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy to find signals that predict who will improve or worsen.
-
Understanding how pregnancy affects rheumatoid arthritis
This study is looking at how pregnancy can help improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, with the goal of finding new and safer treatments for people with this condition.
-
Gut microbes and methotrexate: boosting RA treatment through microbiome targets
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Role of Stabilin receptors in rheumatoid arthritis
A short study to understand how certain scavenger receptors may influence the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.
-
IgG glycosylation and endothelial FcγRIIB: understanding RA-related heart and blood vessel disease
This project looks at how rheumatoid arthritis affects blood vessels and clotting, with the goal of uncovering new ways to prevent heart and stroke risk for people with RA.
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.