Date

Grants Awarded

Elizabeth Mellins, M.D., Stanford University Medical Center: $40,000 to study the genetics of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Mellins is examining if inherited genetic alterations in the recognition mechanism of the immune system are defective and cause RA patients to identify certain self-antigens as foreign.

Susan Kovats, Ph.D., Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope: $35,000 to study the nature of self-antigens in rheumatoid arthritis. This study focuses on whether tissue damage or infection confuses the recognition mechanism of the immune system, causing attack on self-tissues.

Paul Utz, M.D., Harvard Medical School: $40,000 to study cell death’s role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Dr. Utz is focusing on the mechanism of how proteins released from dying self-cells can be modified, then stimulate the patient’s immune system.

Rebecca Tuetken, M.D., Ph.D., University of Iowa: $40,000 to study how the immune system recognizes and reacts against foreign and self-DNA. The study will provide insight to the innate immune response to bacterial DNA and the pathogenesis of SLE.

Morteza Setareh, Ph.D., Scripps Research Institute: $38,000 to study the molecular make-up of genes and the mechanism whereby an autoimmune response is triggered as in arthritis, lupus and other rheumatic diseases.

Arunan Kaliyaperumal, Ph.D., Northwestern University: $38,000 to study the etiologic mechanism of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) and design an autoantigen-specific therapy to block the autoimmune response in Lupus.

Mariana Linker-Israeli, Ph.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: $38,000 for a project examining the cellular and molecular characteristics of patients with Lupus (SLE). By studying the susceptibility genes involved, Dr. Linker-Israeli hopes to devise screening methods and targeted regimens of therapy.

Chaim Jacob, M.D., Ph.D., University of Southern California: $50,000 for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus research utilizing new screening techniques to test Lupus genes for identifiable mutations, which could be targets for gene therapy in the future.

Salvatore Albani, M.D., University of California, San Diego School of Medicine: $50,000 to study abnormal immune responses specific to Pauciarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (pJRA). Provides new information about the cause of this disease and opens the possibility of prevention and new therapies.

Onsi Kamel, M.D., Stanford University Medical Center: $50,000 to study the propensity for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis to develop lymphomas (cancer) as a result of immunosuppressive therapy used to treat the arthritis. Study to provide data to allow for more careful monitoring of such treatment, thereby preventing the development of such lymphomas.

William Stohl, M.D., Ph.D., University of Southern California Medical Center: $50,000 to assess the nature of the body’s inability to regulate antibody production in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus (SLE). With a better knowledge of these mechanisms, specific therapies may be developed to block autoantibody production and reduce (or eliminate) the manifestations of SLE.

Tetsuya Gatanaga, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine: $37,500 to study Cytokines, a class of molecules, one of which is termed TNF, may be involved in the tissue destruction seen in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Dr. Gatanaga’s team has isolated a specific molecule that blocks cytokine activity.

Betty Tsao, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles: $42,000 to develop Immunotherapy by Peptides in Murine Lupus. A study to isolate and utilize peptides derived from autoantibodies to alter production of autoantibodies in patients with SLE.