Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Maryland, Virginia y the District of Columbia

Project Clio aims to better understand pregnancy-related immune system changes to help make advancements for disease modifying therapies. Participants of this study will give a blood sample before becoming pregnant. Participants who do become pregnant will give more blood samples during the first, second, and third trimester. A final blood sample will be collected during a postpartum visit. 

Project Clio stands to provide the greatest assistance to those who are planning to become pregnant and for all people with autoimmune disorders. The findings from the research will help to provide more knowledge on the impact of autoimmune diseases in pregnant individuals. 

Participant Eligibility:

• Age 18 years (or older)
• Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• Diagnosed with non-nephrotic SLE or Multiple Sclerosis
• Located in: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

Participants who complete the study will have sequences of their immune cells (B and T cells) made available to them, potentially allowing for future personalized medical treatments. Processed data will be kept in two separate online data systems; one with unidentifiable data which will be publicly available and another with identifiable data which will only be available by study participants.

Participants will receive monetary compensation for participation.

For more information regarding this study, contact Rakiesha Gay at rakiesha@projectclio.org or visit www.projectclio.org.
 
Study’s end recruitment date is: TBD – Rolling.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation: Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is recruiting for an interventional Phase-2 study to evaluate the potential effectiveness and to better understand immunologic changes associated with the loss of clinical response after 24 weeks use of Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) in patients with SLE. This study will also explore and compare the effectiveness of voclosporin when added to MMF. Participants will be randomized into 4 groups and receive various dosing of MMF: experimental (MMF), placebo for MMF, MMF and placebo for voclosporin, and MMF and voclosporin.

Participant Eligibility:

• Age 18 to 60.
• Meet EULAR/ACR criteria for SLE with moderately severe, active, but non-organ threatening disease.
• Must have completed SARS-CoV-2 primary vaccine series and up to date on booster doses according to CDC guidelines at least 14 days prior to initiation of screening.
• Women of childbearing potential must have negative serum pregnancy test at screening.
• Able or willing to use reliable methods of contraception, as outlined in the Mycophenolate REMS brochure for health care providers, from 4 weeks prior to first randomization to 6 weeks after completion of the study. This criterion applies to females of reproductive potential.
• Located in: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

Participants will receive monetary compensation for participation.
 
For more information regarding this study, contact Kaitlin McShea at Kaitlin_McShea@rhoworld.com or visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05306873?term=ALE10&draw=2&rank=1.
 
Study’s end recruitment date is: 01/01/2025.

Researchers from Ball State University College of Health are seeking volunteers to participate in a study researching the specific symptoms of “brain fog” associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Study participants will complete a brief online survey regarding language deficits (aphasia) that might occur during moments of “brain fog.”  The study seeks information from both individuals diagnosed with SLE and their care partners. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Survey responses are kept anonymous, meaning no identifying information, such as names, will appear in any publication or presentation of the data.

Participant Eligibility (Self-report survey):

• Diagnosed with SLE.
• Aged 18 years or older.
• Located: United States of America

Participant Eligibility (Caregiver survey):

• A self-reported care partner or loved one of an individual diagnosed with SLE
• Aged 18 years or older.
• Located: United States of America

For more information regarding this study, please contact Melissa McGrath, PhD, CCC-SLP at Mamcgrath@bsu.edu

Study’s end recruitment date: Rolling/ TBD

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are seeking 25 individuals experiencing lupus symptoms who have not yet been diagnosed or are facing challenges in obtaining a diagnosis to participate in a 60-minute interview. The goal of this study is to conduct interviews to gain insight into your experiences and enhance the understanding and prevention of diagnostic errors— instances where health conditions are not accurately or promptly identified. Insights from these interviews will help develop tools tailored to meet the diverse needs of patients, especially those from historically marginalized groups. The findings will support patient-centered strategies to identify, address, and reduce diagnostic errors in healthcare. Compensation is available upon completion of the interview.

Participant Eligibility:

• Black or African-American, Asian, Arab or Middle Eastern Descent.
• Latinx or Hispanic.
• Female, Non-binary, or Transgender.
• Aged 18 years or older.
• Have not been diagnosed with Lupus yet but have symptoms and difficulty receiving diagnosis.
•  Located: United States of America

For more information regarding this study, please contact Dr. Sheryl Jefferson at Sheryl.Jefferson@bcm.edu.

Study’s end recruitment date: Rolling; Dependent on when sample size is reached.