STAT4-driven immune problems and poor wound healing in disabling pansclerotic morphea
Crosstalk of Immune Dysregulation and Impaired Wound Healing in inherited STAT4-mediated Autoinflammatory Disease
The team will try blocking overactive STAT4/JAK signaling to reduce inflammation and help wound healing for children with disabling pansclerotic morphea.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11267975 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on disabling pansclerotic morphea (DPM), a rare childhood disease where a STAT4 gene change causes severe inflammation and poor skin and joint healing. Researchers will use patient samples, cell-based experiments, and animal models to study how the STAT4 gain-of-function mutation keeps immune signals like phosphorylated STAT4 and IL-6 turned on and impairs immune cell development and tissue repair. They will test whether JAK inhibitors can lower IL-6, reduce autoinflammation, and restore normal wound healing in the lab and in vivo. The team aims to connect those laboratory findings back to patients to inform potential targeted treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children and other patients diagnosed with disabling pansclerotic morphea, especially those known to carry STAT4 gain-of-function variants.
Not a fit: Patients with other forms of morphea that do not involve STAT4 or JAK-STAT signaling may not receive direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to targeted therapies (such as JAK inhibitors) that reduce inflammation and improve wound healing and survival for people with STAT4-mediated DPM.
How similar studies have performed: JAK inhibitors have shown benefit in other autoinflammatory and dermatologic conditions and the preliminary lab and animal data here suggest improved wound healing, though clinical proof in DPM remains limited.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Broderick, Lori — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Broderick, Lori
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.