| This group focuses on studies on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren's disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as the development of innovative therapies (biologicals, small molecules, gene therapy) for these conditions. Research in our group is performed at three different tiers: in vitro studies, animal models of arthritis, and experimental studies in patients. Combination of these three areas of research gives an excellent environment for the development of translational research. Research includes studies on the role of various chemokine and chemokine receptors antagonists, proinflammatory cytokines, and B cells in various autoimmune diseases. In arthritis patients we obtain serial synovial biopsy samples, which are used for the evaluation of biomarkers to predict a possible clinical effect in a relatively small number of patients and to provide insight into the pathogenesis. Similar studies with other biologicals are underway in patients with psoriatic arthritis and SLE. Gene therapy appears attractive in RA and Sjögren's disease, because the disease is mainly localized in specific compartments. Several studies are underway in our laboratory to investigate novel vectors for gene delivery. Our previous work has shown the potential of targeting TNF and NF-kappaB activity by in vivo gene therapy in animal models of RA. Pathogenetic studies include work on the role of CD97-CD55 interactions, signal transduction pathways, and genetic investigations. |
