Michigan Medicine APS Program Update

ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME (APS) PROGRAM UPDATE

Thank you for your interest in and support of our APS Program! We continue to pursue personalized, proactive treatments for APS with a long-term goal of a cure. We do this work to make lives better, and we hope we can use these emails to build a community of others who want the same. We’re all in this together!

NEWS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Antiphospholipid Antibodies May Increase Heart Disease Risk in Healthy People

Dr. Ray Zuo and Dr. Jason Knight, in collaboration with the Dallas Heart Study, found that antiphospholipid antibodies can sometimes be detected in seemingly healthy people, where they may increase their risk of a heart attack or stroke over time. Read more.

Novel Anti-NET Antibodies in a Multinational Cohort

Dr. Ray Zuo, Dr. Jason Knight, and an international team discover a class of functional autoantibodies in APS patients that contributes to the disease's development. Read more.

New Michigan Medicine Patient Education Document for APS!

We are happy to share a new patient education document created here at Michigan Medicine by Dr. Jacqueline Madison and Dr. Jason Knight. The document focuses on the risk of blood clots in APS. Read more.

RESEARCH & CLINICAL TRIALS

APS Pregnancy Experience – Community-Engaged Research

Led by Dr. Alex Harper, the APS Pregnancy Experience study seeks to understand experiences, priorities, and concerns surrounding pregnancy for individuals diagnosed with APS. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete a series of surveys that ask about your personal and medical information, including your history with APS and pregnancy. We anticipate these will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Some people will be asked to participate in a follow-up interview lasting up to 60 minutes. Learn more and participate in the study.

In Case You Missed It! Daratumumab in Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (DARE-APS)

Since 2019, Dr. Knight and the APS Research Labs have been working with Dr. Doruk Erkan and his team at the Hospital for Special Surgery, APS ACTION, and researchers at both the National Institutes of Health and the Immune Tolerance Network to develop a first-of-its-kind clinical trial for individuals living with APS.

DARE-APS Study: We all know that new safe and effective treatments for APS are needed. In this research study, we will learn about the safety of the drug Darzalex® (daratumumab) in patients with APS and will also learn whether it reduces levels of the antiphospholipid antibodies that cause APS.

About the Study Drug: Daratumumab is an antibody that targets a protein called CD38, which is found on the surface of the immune cells that produce antiphospholipid antibodies (plasma cells). In APS, daratumumab may work by eliminating these antiphospholipid antibody-producing cells, thereby reducing damage to the body caused by antiphospholipid antibodies.

Daratumumab is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. However, it has not been tested in patients with APS and is therefore considered an experimental treatment in the DARE-APS study.

Participating in DARE-APS: Participation in DARE-APS will occur in two phases. During the treatment phase, participants will receive 8 weekly intravenous (IV) doses of daratumumab. The post-treatment follow-up phase will last an additional 10 months, during which 6 monitoring clinical visits will occur.

Eligibility: You may be eligible to participate in DARE-APS if you:

Are between ages 18 and 65
Have a diagnosis of APS
Do not have lupus
Have had certain problems associated with APS in the past 5 years such as blood clots or pregnancy complications

Learn More: To learn more, visit the DARE-APS website.

The study will hopefully begin recruiting participants in the first half of 2023.

WHAT I'M READING IN APS RESEARCH

Using CAR T Cell Therapy for Rheumatic Diseases

What I’m Reading in APS Research, written by Dr. Ajay Tambralli, is designed to provide relevant information about some of the latest research in APS and to help people better understand the research behind the publications. In this edition, Dr. Tambralli discusses three publications focusing on CAR T cells. Read more.

SPARK BARK:

WHAT’S SPARKY UP TO A-HOUND TOWN?

by Amelia K. Knight

As you cast your mind back, you may recall that we provide shelter for a certain mischievous rascal named Sparky. He is a beagle whom my family adopted from a shelter five years ago. Notably, there was also a total solar eclipse five years ago, around the same time Sparky was found meandering a long country road by a good Samaritan. Any direct relationship between these events is so far unknown.

Sparky has been doing superlative lately. He had his annual vet checkup, which he passed with flying colors. As he approaches his seventh (admittedly made-up) birthday on June 4, the vet assured us that he is in top shape for another banner year.

As the Earth has been spinning here in Ann Arbor, the weather has gotten remarkably warm. As much as Sparky likes (tolerates?) the snow, he is happiest when he can gallop around and bask in the warm light. This way his solar panels remain fully charged as he pursues the oh-so-many smells that springtime offers. Those smells also likely mean more baths for Sparky soon, but I have not reminded him of this as I do not want to spoil his wholesome fun.

Sparky had a very hoppy Easter and even got a glimpse of the Easter Bunny on the other side of our fence! While you might have guessed that a hound and a bunny would be natural enemies, it is apparently not so. They gladly set aside whatever differences they had in order to bring happiness to little kids.

I should also report that Sparky has a good new buddy named Louie, a diminutive dog, who occasionally travels to our backyard for playdates. Otherwise, there has not been too much doggy mischief to report here, which is why I fear this is the calm before some early summer storms.

That’s all for our Sparky update! Make sure to tune in next time for a birthday-edition Spark Bark.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Donations to our lab are used to support new pilot projects that are difficult to fund from other sources. Every bit helps. And we are always open to your ideas!

To make a gift to support our APS research, please visit the APS Gift Fund.