In her December 2021 letter, NIAMS Director Dr. Lindsey Criswell discussed the launch of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases (AMP® AIM) program. This new initiative builds upon the progress of the prior AMP RA/SLE project, which greatly advanced our understanding of the mechanisms that drive disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus.

The NIAMS K Forum brings together clinician-scientists with a NIAMS K08 or K23 award.

A conversation between Dr. David R. Wilson, director of the NIH Tribal Health Research Office, and Dr. Lindsey A. Criswell, director of NIAMS, about information and resources for American Indians and Alaska Natives related to bone, muscle, skin, and autoimmune diseases. Watch the video on YouTube. Transcript Dave Wilson: Hello, my name is Dr. Dave Wilson. I am a member of the Navajo Nation, and I am also the Director of the Tribal Health Research Office, also known as THRO, here at the National Institutes of Health. Today I am joined by my colleague Dr. Lindsay Criswell, who is the

Researchers published a proof-of-principle paper in the journal Science Immunology demonstrating just how precision medicine for inflammatory skin rashes might work.

A treatment for severe skin inflammation that works well in lean mice made the condition worse in obese mice because of immune-cell changes associated with obesity.

The Health Disparities in Osteoarthritis (OA) workshop brought together OA investigators with others who have expertise in health disparities to exchange ideas regarding how/why disparities in OA treatment and care exist and how they can be addressed. Panelists and speakers highlighted mechanisms through which behavioral and biomedical science integration can lead to better health in OA.

NIAMS organized a roundtable to engage stakeholders to discuss challenges, gaps, and opportunities regarding regenerative medicine approaches for cartilage preservation and restoration in knee OA and where and how NIAMS could play a role and move the field forward.

The recent observance in May of National Arthritis Awareness Month offered us a chance to reflect on a sizable component of the NIAMS mission area. Arthritis impacts the lives of nearly 60 million Americans. However, a recent conversation with David Wilson, Ph.D., director of NIH’s Tribal Health Research Office, reminded me that arthritis hits some communities harder than others.

NIBIB-funded researchers are developing an implantable, biodegradable film that helps to regenerate the native cartilage at the site of damage. Their study, performed in rabbits, could be an initial, important step in the establishment of a new treatment for this common condition, osteoarthritis.

Sometimes, your immune system makes mistakes. If it sees your body’s healthy cells as a threat, it may attack them. This can cause an autoimmune disorder.