Why chikungunya causes long-lasting joint and muscle pain
Official title: Pathogenesis of Alphavirus induced Chronic Arthritis and Myositis
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11325369 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how chikungunya virus can linger in joint and muscle cells and keep causing pain for people who had the infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | June 11, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $767,287 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183590-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11325369 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who previously had chikungunya infection and continue to have chronic joint or muscle pain would be the most relevant group for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose arthritis or muscle pain is caused by other conditions (for example, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis) or who never had chikungunya are unlikely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
Researchers use a mouse system that permanently tags cells infected by chikungunya so they can find which cells keep viral RNA for months. They focus on joint fibroblasts and immune cells to see whether these cells harbor non-replicating viral RNA that acts like a signal to drive ongoing inflammation. The team will measure inflammatory molecules and cell types in affected tissues and test whether removing or altering those persistent cells reduces inflammation. The approach aims to link specific persistent infected cells to the chronic joint and muscle pain people experience after chikungunya.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to ways to stop the persistent inflammation and lead to treatments that prevent or reduce long-term chikungunya joint and muscle pain.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies detected persistent chikungunya RNA and inflammation in patients and animals, but using lineage-tagging to pinpoint and test the specific cells that harbor viral RNA is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lenschow, Deborah J — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Lenschow, Deborah J
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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.