NYU Langone’s Colton Center Funds Seven New Autoimmune Pilot Projects — From Lupus to Myasthenia Gravis

The Judith and Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity at NYU Langone has approved seven new pilot projects for 2019 funding, adding to a portfolio of nearly 20 interdisciplinary collaborations already underway. Published in NYU Langone’s 2018 Rheumatology Year in Review, the article highlights both the new grants and the progress of earlier Colton-funded projects that are advancing through the translational pipeline.

Among the newly funded projects, one team from the Skirball Institute — led by Professors Steven Burden, Damian Ekiert, and Gira Bhabha — is investigating the autoantibodies responsible for myasthenia gravis, with the goal of developing a decoy target that could neutralize them and restore normal nerve-to-muscle signaling. A second project, led by Dr. Theresa Wampler Muskardin, is using blood-based biomarkers — specifically type 1 interferon levels — to predict which rheumatoid arthritis patients are likely to respond to TNF inhibitor therapy, addressing a significant gap in clinical decision-making. A third, led by Dr. Timothy Niewold in collaboration with Professor Jef Boeke, is using synthetic chromosome technology to isolate and study individual gene regions linked to lupus risk, mapping the origins of autoimmune disease with unprecedented precision.

Two earlier Colton-funded projects are also showing translational momentum. Professor Boris Reizis is advancing DNASE1L3 enzyme replacement as a potential lupus therapy, while Professor Gregg Silverman is developing a blood test based on gut microbiome antibodies to predict lupus nephritis.

Together, the projects reflect the Colton Center’s model: seed high-risk, high-reward ideas and shepherd them toward clinical impact.