Congratulations to Cure JM Foundation

Through the generosity and hard work of the JM community, Cure JM Foundation has been able to approve a $ 1 million, three year JM research grant! This grant will go to support a "Program of Excellence in JM Research" at Children's Memorial Research Center in Chicago, led by Dr. Lauren Pachman. A special thank you to all of you who so generously donated to this effort. This was all accomplished by the JM community working together and you are all to be congratulated!

Earlier Grants

In October 2003 the Cure JM Foundation began its mission to do whatever is necessary to help find a cure for juvenile myositis. Within a year, through the fundraising efforts of the JM community and many generous contributions, we were able to grant two important research fellowships.

In June, 2004, Cure JM awarded a fellowship to Dr. Gulnara Mamyrova, M.D., Ph.D, to complete the Childhood Myositis Heterogeneity Study and projects related to analysis of data from this registry study. This study is being conducted under the guidance of Dr. Lisa Rider, M.D. by the Environmental Autoimmunity Group at NIEHS, National Institutes of Health. Deputy Chief Dr. Rider and Chief Dr. Fred Miller, M.D., Ph.D. are the principal investigators of this study. Dr. Mamyrova’s fellowship funding began on November 25, 2004 and will continue until November 21, 2007. The total amount of this grant is $147,660.

Dr. Mamyrova has presented her work from this study at a number of national and regional meetings, including the American College of Rheumatology, the NIH Research Festival, and DC Rheumatism Society. She received recognition for her work on this study from the DC Rheumatism Society as a Poster Award Winner at their Fellows Forum.

In July, 2004, Cure JM Foundation also awarded a fellowship to Dr. Kelly Rouster-Stevens, M.D., Pharm. D., for the “Untreated Children with Juvenile Dermatomyositis: Impact of Serologic and Genetic Factors on Bone Mineral Density”. This study is being conducted at Children’s Memorial Research Center in Chicago, and is supervised by Dr. Lauren Pachman, M.D. This fellowship award began July 1, 2004 and will continue through June 30, 2006 for a total of $127,965.

We would like to thank all those who helped make this possible and who are continuing to raise awareness and funds for further JDM research.

Research Subjects Needed

Twins/Siblings Study
The National Institutes of Health is conducting pioneering research into the genetic and environmental risk factors that may result in an autoimmune disease. Specifically, they are seeking subjects who have been diagnosed within the last 4 years and who have a twin or sibling of the same gender (within four years of age) without an autoimmune disease. This is a great opportunity for JM sufferers to take an active role in the fight against JM. Click here for more information.

Other Research Studies

Calcinosis in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: Pathogenesis and Current Therapies
www.pedrheumonlinejournal.org/April/calinosis.html

Clinical Outcomes In JDM
(requires site registration, but registration is free)
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/444390

Clinical Trials
www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/action/SearchAction?term=Connective+Tissue+Disorders

Dermatomyositis
www.emedicine.com/derm/topic98.htm
www.thedoctorsdoctor.com/diseases/dermatomyositis.htm

Guidelines for safe use of IVIG
www.rheumatology.hss.edu/pat/specInfo/sideEffects/ivig_use.asp

Juvenile Dermatomyositis Presenting With Rash Alone -- Eisenstein et al. 100 (3): 391 -- Pediatrics
pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/100/3/391?maxtoshow=&HI

Juvenile dermatomyositis associated with lipodystrophy
www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2003;volume=69;issue=5;
spage=343;epage=344

Lipodystrophy in JDM
www.jrheum.com/abstracts/abstracts01/610.html

Association of TNFa-308A Allele
www.current-reports.com/article_frame.cfm?PubID=RR03-5-1-03&Type=Abstract&KeyWords=Allele&HitNum=91

Vitamin D Lowers Inflammation
www.mercola.com/2004/feb/28/vitamin_d.htm