Pioneers in Breakthrough Research
Since 1973, the research team in the Division of Rheumatology at Cincinnati Children’s has been breaking barriers and discovering new diagnostic and therapeutic methods for treating children with rheumatic diseases.
We have a long history of firsts—from working on making the first biologic lupus medication available to children and the first medication for spondylarthritis approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to pioneering precision dosing for lupus nephritis medication by using our patented noninvasive biomarkers to help physicians make better clinical decisions for a broad range of conditions from lupus to arthritis to inflammatory eye and brain diseases.
As a national referral site and a leading clinical trial center, our Clinical Trials Unit is the coordinating center of the national Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG), a collection of over 90 sites in North America dedicated to performing high-quality clinical research in pediatric rheumatic diseases.
Our focus may be broad, but our goal is singular: to better understand the pathophysiologies of pediatric rheumatic diseases in order to develop novel therapeutic treatments and improve treatment approaches that enhance the quality of children’s lives.
Our Research
Using basic science, translational and clinical research, our dedicated team of researchers collaborates with experts in the Rheumatology Clinic and other divisions across Cincinnati Children’s to study systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that impact various bodily systems.
We are leaders in biomarker research, discovering noninvasive tests for assessing inflammation in the joints and various organ systems affected by rheumatic conditions, including inflammatory brain diseases and autoinflammatory conditions. We are currently studying imaging biomarkers and biomarkers in tears to measure the degree of inflammation in the eyes to prevent future blindness. Our research findings have led to the development of advanced treatments, including new oral medications where infusions were the only option.
Read more about our rheumatology programs and published research.
Our Impact
As a national referral center, our impact is felt beyond our hospital walls.
With four faculty labs and several pediatric rheumatology centers and specialty clinics funded by the National Institutes of Health—including the Autoinflammatory Disease Center, Lupus Center, Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Disease Center and our Juvenile Myositis Center accredited by the CURE JM Foundation—our reach extends to children around the globe with various conditions and needs. Our groundbreaking work on the Pediatric Lupus Nephritis Mycophenolate Mofetil (PLUMM) study—which focused on personalized, precision dosing of an immunosuppressive drug to treat lupus nephritis—gives patients and their families an at-home solution for monitoring drug levels, making care more accessible and convenient for a broader patient population.
