Division of Rheumatology

Research

Are you a patient?

The Division’s research activities are not limited to SLE. Drs. Arkfeld, Christianakis, Ehresmann, Ortiz, Panush and Shinada have been investigating new strategies to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides. In addition, Dr. Stohl has been conducting clinical trials in patients with SLE with novel biologic agents, and he has initiated a collaboration with investigators in the Department of Ophthalmology to examine the early events in Sjögren’s syndrome.

Faculty Research Areas

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    Osteoarthritis
    Novel Immune Therapies for Immune Disorders
    Sjögren’s Syndrome
    Fibromyalgia
    B Cell Directed Autoimmune Therapies
    Osteoporosis

  • Scleroderma
    Spondyloarthropies
    Myositis

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Cytokine-Mediated Down-Regulation of B Cell Hyperactivity in SLE
    Immunoregulatory Mechanisms in the Rheumatic Diseases
    Regulatory T Cell Subsets in SLE
    Regulatory Cells to Treat Autoimmune Diseases and Prevent Graft Rejection

  • SLE Genetics
    Pathogenesis of SLE

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

     

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

     

  • Autoimmunity/Immunopathology of Rheumatic and Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases
    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    Antiphospholipid Antibodies
    Autoantibodies in Rheumatic Diseases

  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    Effects of Rituximab in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Sclerosis
    Bone Mineral Density in the Hispanic Population

  • B Cell Survival Factors (especially the BAFF axis)
    B Cell Depletion Therapy in Rheumatic Diseases
    Sjögren’s Syndrome

     

Collaborative Information

For people interest in collaborating with this Division, the research liaison is William Stohl, MD, PhD

Faculty Engaged in Scholarly Work

Research Interests

Basic science (mouse models)

  1. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
  2. Inflammatory bowel disease
  3. B cell – T cell interactions

Basic science (human)

  1. SLE genetics
  2. Tear protein profiles in Sjögren’s syndrome
  3. Biomarkers for adverse outcomes in pregnancy

Translational

  1. Development of cyclotide-based inhibitors for SLE
  2. Development of novel therapeutic lipoxins for SLE
  3. Identification of tear-based biomarkers for point-of-contact diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome

Clinical

  1. Industry-sponsored trials in SLE
  2. Industry-sponsored trials in rheumatoid arthritis

Health services

  1. Utility of the serum globulin gap in clinical rheumatology