Small skin sample to help detect and track CIDP
Official title: Skin biopsy as a potential biomarker for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11295151 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a tiny skin biopsy can help doctors find and follow CIDP in people who have or may have the condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | March 20, 2026 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $246,574 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NS146830-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295151 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with suspected or confirmed CIDP—including typical and atypical presentations—who can attend clinic visits and tolerate a small skin biopsy are the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with nerve problems caused by other known conditions (such as amyloid neuropathy), those unable to have a skin biopsy, or those already well-managed by current tests may not receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
You would have a small, shallow skin biopsy taken and researchers will examine nerve fibers and immune markers in that sample. They will compare the skin findings with standard tests like nerve conduction studies and clinical exams, and will repeat testing over time to see if the skin markers change with treatment. The approach aims to be less invasive than a nerve biopsy and more directly linked to the nerves in the skin. Visits and biopsies would take place at the study site with routine follow-up appointments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a less invasive and earlier way to diagnose and monitor CIDP, helping doctors adjust treatment more quickly and accurately.
How similar studies have gone: Skin biopsy is an established tool for some other neuropathies, but using it as a biomarker specifically for CIDP is relatively new and remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roy, Bhaskar — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Roy, Bhaskar
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
B-cell problems in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Researchers are looking at how B cells and the antibodies they make may damage nerves in people with CIDP to help guide better treatments.
-
Aging, T cells, and CIDP: how senescence may drive nerveautoimmunity
This grant looks at why CIDP, a chronic autoimmune nerve disease, happens more in older people by studying aging-like changes in immune cells and how they might push nerve cells to become dysfunctional.
-
Understanding B-cell dysfunction in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
This study is looking into how certain immune cells called B-cells might be causing problems in people with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), with the goal of finding better treatments for this condition.
-
KITE-363 treatment for relapsed or refractory autoimmune neurologic diseases
This study will test whether KITE-363 is safe and can help people with relapsed or treatment-resistant autoimmune neurologic diseases such as MS, CIDP, and myasthenia gravis.
-
Immunoadsorption treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
This observational study will try immunoadsorption as a next-step treatment for adults with CIDP who do not respond well to IVIg or methylprednisolone.
-
Empasiprubart for adults with CIDP
This study will test whether IV empasiprubart helps improve symptoms and is safe for adults with CIDP, with an initial 24-week randomized comparison to placebo followed by two years of empasiprubart for all participants.
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.