The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded a $143,949 Project Grant under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846) to The Washington University in St. Louis. The 5-year project aims to study the role of gut dysbiosis and short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in regulating inflammatory and viral arthritis. Specifically, the research will investigate how antibiotic-induced changes to the gut microbiome impact intestinal epithelial responses and trigger pro-inflammatory effects in the joints. The project will use cutting-edge methods like spatial transcriptomics and ATAC-sequencing to characterize the cellular mechanisms linking the gut-joint axis. The findings may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for modulating gut dysbiosis and improving clinical management of arthritis. This award supports the career development of the principal investigator, Dr. Fang Roseanne Zhao, as an independent physician-scientist studying the host-microbiome interface.
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