Pediatric Rheumatology

Clinical Research Activities

The pediatric rheumatologists at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian are playing leading roles in clinical trials of new medications and in developing innovative treatment protocols for juvenile arthritis, dermatomyositis and childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). We have also developed regimens to help patients to function better while reducing the long-term side effects of their treatments.

A major component of research at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital involves identifying the reason why some people develop an autoimmune disease, while others do not. This mainly involves identifying genes that determine susceptibility and how the genes act to determine disease development. We have funding from multiple sources and 20 active research projects.

Ongoing clinical and laboratory research projects within the Division of Rheumatology include:

• Evaluation of cholesterol-lowering drugs in the prevention of atherosclerosis in children and teenagers with lupus (an NIH-sponsored multi-center trial)

• Contributing to the creation of a Large National Data Base for 20,000 Children with Rheumatic Diseases to help us define best available treatments funded by the NIH. We are also enhancing this data base with a private contribution to make it more useful to the patient we care for here at Columbia University.

• Evaluating the role of Vitamin D deficiency in contributing to lupus activity and flares

• Finding a better treatment for Systemic arthritis patients with a long acting IL-1 inhibitor.

• Evaluation of a medication to prevent the adverse effects of cyclophosphamide on the ovaries (and fertility) of females when prescribed for lupus nephritis (a FDA-sponsored multi-center trial);

• Longitudinal examination of neurocognitive effects of lupus in childhood;

• Evaluation of new treatments for infants and children with Kawasaki Disease;

• Examination of new therapies for childhood uveitis (inflammation of the eye)

• New directions for understanding and treating autoimmune disease (a National Institutes of Health-funded project);

• Collaboration with Dr. Betty Diamond from the Division of Medicine and Immunology examining new antibodies which may lead to neurocognitive disease in children and adults with lupus;

• Collaboration with the Departments of Medicine and Nephrology to evaluate possible markers that may indicate the early development of kidney disease.

• Understanding features of the immune cells involved in lupus and joint inflammation;

• Understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis (funded by the National Psoriasis Foundation) — a distinctive form of chronic progressive autoimmune arthritis in approximately 10% of individuals with psoriasis;

• Investigating the role of Intravenous Gammaglobulin in the treatment of Juvenile Dermatomyositis, and the development of a treatment protocol without steroid therapy.

• Evaluation of the benefits of an observed versus home physical conditioning exercise program for children and teenagers with juvenile arthritis.