Michael Yu and Shawn Owen Receive New NIH R01 Grant to Advance Rheumatoid Arthritis Research
Michael Yu (Biomedical Engineering) and Shawn Owen (Molecular Pharmaceutics) have been awarded a new National Institute of Health R01 grant funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Proposed study aims to improve the efficacy of existing rheumatoid arthritis antibody drugs by attaching a peptide that specifically binds to degraded collagens abundant in inflamed joint tissues (bones and cartilage). Antibody drug that can be localized to diseased tissue will exhibit high efficacy and low systemic side effects.
Their interdisciplinary team will combine innovative collagen hybridization technology from Dr. Yu’s lab with antibody engineering methods developed in Dr. Owen’s lab. Together, they aim to develop innovative antibody-based therapies designed to precisely target inflamed tissue in arthritic joints, maximizing effectiveness while minimizing side effects, offering new hope for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
