Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology Research

Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology (AIR) Division researchers are dedicated to elucidating underlying pathways responsible for autoimmune, inflammatory and allergic diseases and translating this to innovative treatments for patients. Individual areas of focus include basic mechanisms of altered bone remodeling in psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation at the bone joint interface in rheumatoid arthritis, basic mechanisms of B cell mediated immunity in SLE and translational studies of the Old Mennonite population to better understand the biologic mechanisms that underlie the low rates of autoimmune and allergic diseases in this population. In addition, the Division has a close working relationship with the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, is a member of the NIH Accelerated Medicines Partnership and is a World Allergy Organization Center of Excellence.

Study from Jennifer Anolik, MD, PhD, and Team: Building a "Cellular Atlas" for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Darren Tabechian,
MD

Javier Rangel-
Moreno, PhD

Jennifer Anolik,
MD, PhD

New research from Jennifer Anolik, MD, PhD, Javier Rangel-Moreno, PhD and Darren Tabechian, MD along with several URMC and national/international collaborators, recently published in the journal Nature, deconstructed more than 314,000 cells into six major subtypes. In building this comprehensive atlas, understanding cell types and pathways, researchers can now use this knowledge in precision medicine, developing specific, individualized therapies. This work was funded by an NIH Network grant awarded to Anolik and team in 2014 that informed a new $10 million NIH grant for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership®: Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases (AMP AIM) program in 2022.