Earlier Use of Mycophenolate Mofetil in Scleroderma: Clinical Trial
Oct 24, 2024Lung disease is the leading cause of death in scleroderma, affecting over 50% of individuals with the disease. Currently, treatments to calm the immune system are only given when lung disease is progressive or severe. We want to determine if earlier intervention is effective in preserving lung function.
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Discovering New Blood Tests for Patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Muscle Diseases
Aug 15, 2024Autoimmune Inflammatory Myopathies (AIMs) are under-recognized and disproportionally affect racial/ethnic minorities. This research will help improve the future quality of life for patients with AIMs by improving diagnosis and treatment.
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Developing classification criteria to identify kidney failure in people with scleroderma
Jun 20, 2024A serious complication of scleroderma is scleroderma renal crisis (sudden kidney failure). Currently, there is no standardized set of criteria to define this complication which leads to poor understanding of the problem and a lack of more effective treatments. This study aims to create a new classification criteria to improve outcomes for people living with this disease.
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Understanding the experiences of patients with antiphospholipid antibodies
Sep 13, 2023Almost half of lupus patients are at risk for blood clots. Previous studies have shown that patients do not have the resources they need to understand this diagnosis, make decisions about it, or discuss it with doctors. This study aims to create learning resources and tools to improve communication between doctors and patients.
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Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: Predicting severity and treatments for better outcomes
Apr 10, 2023Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) can occur weeks after a mild or even asymptomatic infection of COVID-19. In this study, we will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to rapidly diagnose MIS-C and predict which child will develop severe disease.
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Discovering New Diagnostic Protein Markers for Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis
Apr 05, 2023Sporadic Inclusion Body (sIBM) myositis is a challenging disease to diagnose and currently relies on invasive muscle biopsy. In this study, we will identify proteins in the blood and muscle that are useful in detecting sIBM.
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Understanding Childhood Arthritis to Improve Treatment
Feb 02, 2022Arthritis is a chronic, disabling disease of childhood. Many children will continue to have arthritis as adults. We will develop tests that enable us to learn about the biology of each child’s disease to ensure we use biologic therapies in the safest, most beneficial and cost-effective way to improve health and quality of life.
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Towards Understanding the Use of Hydroxychloroquine in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Jan 18, 2022The main side effect of long-term use of hydroxychloroquine is eye damage. At present, we cannot accurately predict which patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are most likely to have a flare of their symptoms once we lower the dose of this drug. It is also unclear what causes the risk of eye damage. Our study will fill these knowledge gaps…
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Canadian Research Group of Rheumatology in Immuno-Oncology (CAN-RiO)
Feb 23, 2021The Canadian Research Group of Rheumatology in Immuno-Oncology (CAN-RiO) is a network of 19 rheumatologists across Canada (see map) with expertise in the assessment and management of rheumatic complications of cancer immunotherapy. CanRIO’s mission is to improve the care of cancer patients across Canada receiving immunotherapy, who develop rheumatic complications or who have pre-existing autoimmune conditions.
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Building Knowledge to Improve Primary Health Care for Indigenous Peoples
Aug 13, 2020The Indigenous Primary Health Care and Policy Research (IPHCPR) Network will support knowledge building to improve delivery of primary health care to Indigenous peoples. It will bring together researchers, health system partners and Indigenous community members to help define the developing knowledge area of Indigenous primary health care...
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Original Biologics and Biosimilars – are they equally effective and safe?
Aug 06, 2020Biologic medications or ‘Biologics’, also known as anti-TNF agents, have provided major advances to the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), due to their unparalleled efficacy. Ten thousand British Columbians use biologics for RA, PsA and AS...
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Is Internet Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy feasible for insomnia in lupus patients?
Jul 27, 2020Sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or waking up early in the morning are all symptoms of insomnia. They are, reported in up to 80% of persons with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Sleep disturbances worsen other symptoms of SLE including fatigue, pain, and depression causing poor quality of life.
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The impact of antimalarial drugs in arthritis patients exposed to COVID-19
Jul 23, 2020The current pandemic offers a chance to improve our understanding of how infections such as COVID-19 affect patients with autoimmune inflammatory diseases. We can assess the impact of the medication used to treat their disease on infection and how infections affect their psychological health.
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Blood proteins linked to lupus will lead to better diagnosing and understanding of the disease
Jun 04, 2019Lupus or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and unpredictable disease that can lead to irreversible organ damage. SLE patients have specific proteins in their blood that healthy people do not. This study will determine which of the 10 proteins identified in a group of SLE patients are linked to SLE. This information could represent a new signal for…
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Preventing Complications in an Indigenous Community: Improving Quality of Care
Feb 07, 2019Indigenous communities have higher occurrences of chronic diseases (including inflammatory diseases) and more difficulty accessing health care services than other populations in Canada. This sub-project of the PRECISION study will evaluate if the use of a nurse case manager in a First Nations community can result in care that is appropriate, respectful, and culturally relevant for those with chronic diseases.
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Improving gout care: Shared access to electronic medical records
Feb 07, 2019Gout is a very painful type of arthritis that results from excess uric acid build-up in the body, leading to repeated inflammation and deformity in the joints. This sub-project of the PRECISION study will examine if shared access to electronic medical records (from rheumatologists, pharmacist, and dieticians) will improve gout care, prevent complications associated with gout, and ultimately improve patient…
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Reducing the Burden of Complications from Inflammatory Diseases
Feb 07, 2019Due to improved treatments, people with inflammatory diseases of the skin, joint, or bowel are more likely to die from medical complications of the disease than the disease itself. This sub-project of the PRECISION study will examine how common the complications are, and what factors (such as inflammation) increase or decrease the risk of these complications.
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Risk of Retinal Toxicity in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis on Long-term Hydroxychloroquine Therapy
Feb 06, 2019The drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is commonly used to treat systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, as it reduces the severity of the disease, lessens medical complications, all which contribute to a longer life. However, a serious long-term side-effect is eye damage that may cause vision loss.
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The MyLupusGuide: An empowering eHealth tool to support self-management of lupus
Dec 20, 2017MyLupusGuide has been developed to provide reliable and easily accessible information, support, and other tools to help people manage their lupus. This study will investigate the use of MyLupusGuide and its effectiveness in improving self-management and better health for those with the disease.
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Improving quality of arthritis care for Indigenous populations
Jul 04, 2017Arthritis, particularly inflammatory arthritis, is the most common chronic disease in Indigenous populations. This research aims to find solutions to the inequalities in inflammatory arthritis care and outcomes in Canada’s Indigenous populations. Preferences for care and treatment will be determined, and tools will be developed to assist them and their health care providers to agree on treatment choices and expectations.
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