Predicting Response of Methotrexate Treatment (PROMOTE)

Disease Area:
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

Biosample Status:
Biosample Available

About the PROMOTE Study

Methotrexate is a treatment that is widely used to treat arthritis in children, but it is only effective in about a third to half of patients. If we can identify which patients will respond positively to this treatment early on, we may be able to avoid using unnecessary biologic therapies. On the other hand, we could also start a biologic treatment sooner if we could predict that a patient will not respond well to methotrexate.

Choosing the most appropriate treatment for rapid and effective treatment of childhood arthritis will allow these children to achieve their full potential for healthy, productive lives free from disability.

Researchers want to learn:

• How genetics contribute to clinical drug response
• How genetics influence drug response on a cellular level
• If a clinical tool could be developed to help doctors decide if methotrexate is the best medication choice for JIA patients at the start of their treatment plan

Genetic studies that test millions of biomarkers require very large cohorts. By working with the CARRA Registry, researchers can identify patients with JIA who are taking methotrexate more easily, collect biosamples to learn more about patients’ genetics, and follow their clinical outcomes over a long period of time.

Study Updates and Findings

This study is still ongoing and does not have public results at this time. Check back in a few months to see if findings have been posted.

About the Participants

• Children with JIA. Participants with most types of JIA enrolled in the CARRA Registry.
• Children starting methotrexate. Methotrexate may be oral or subcutaneous, at any dose, without the use of a biologic to treat JIA.
• Can contribute biosamples. Biosamples are collected after 6 months on methotrexate.

About the Study Team

PROMOTE is an NIH-funded multi-center study (R01HD089928).

Lead researchers (Principal Investigators):

• Susan Thompson, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
• Mara Becker*, MD, MSCE, Duke University

To learn more about this project, please contact [email protected].