Environmental Autoimmunity Group

Adam I. Schiffenbauer, M.D.
Adam I. Schiffenbauer, M.D.
Deputy Head and Associate Research Physician
Tel 301-451-6270
[email protected]
Curriculum Vitae (300KB)
10 Center Dr
NIHBC 10 - CLINICAL CENTER - MAGNUSON
Bethesda, MD 20892-1627

Research Summary

Adam Schiffenbauer, M.D., is Deputy Head of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group and a clinical investigator in rheumatology, with a special interest in myositis. The mission of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group is to understand the mechanisms for the development of autoimmune diseases so that group members can extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. The group conducts a broad program of clinical, translational, and basic investigations in the area of adult and pediatric autoimmune diseases.

calcinosis

Schiffenbauer leads several research studies and the adult patient enrollments in the group. He serves as principal investigator for several NIEHS protocols including an investigational drug study evaluating sodium thiosulfate for the treatment of calcinosis, as well as an associate investigator on protocols across several institutes at NIH. Schiffenbauer cares for patients with autoimmune disorders and autoimmune disease mimics, particularly patients with muscle disorders. He also serves as faculty in the NIAMS Rheumatology Fellowship Program and is an attending on the rheumatology consult service. In addition, he serves on several NIH intramural committees along with serving in leadership roles across national and international consortia that evaluate and conduct a wide range of basic and clinical studies on the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

Major areas of research:

  • Understanding genetic and environmental risk factors for autoimmune disease risk and phenotype, particularly the IIM.
  • Understanding mechanisms for development of autoimmune diseases, particularly the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.
  • Developing new assessments and novel therapies for the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and calcinosis.

Current projects:

  • Environmental Risk Factors for the Anti-Synthetase Syndrome - An ongoing study enrolling patients who have recently been diagnosed with polymyositis or dermatomyositis in the past year with the purpose of identifying environmental risk factors for the IIM and particular phenotypes within the IIM.
  • Calcinosis Study - This study is investigating the safety and efficacy of sodium thiosulfate to treat patients with juvenile and adult dermatomyositis with moderate to severe calcinosis, while also investigating multiple new outcome measures for use with calcinosis.
  • Environmental Risk Factors for the Development of Myositis in Military Personnel – This study uses a combination of enrolling subjects and using the power of the military database system to evaluate the impact of environmental exposures in military personal on the development of IIM.

Schiffenbauer obtained his M.D. at Penn State University Hershey, his residency training at George Washington University Hospital, and his fellowship in adult rheumatology at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

Schiffenbauer has focused much of his work on autoimmune muscle diseases. He has authored and co-authored research publications, reviews, and book chapters. His leadership roles have included serving as chair of the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) Scientific Committee and as chair of the IMACS ICD Coding Group. He has served on the Medical Advisory Board for The Myositis Association and on the steering committee for The George Washington University Myositis Center- Cure JM Center of Excellence.

Relevance to NIEHS Mission

Our work is helping to identify new genetic and environmental risk and protective factors for myositis and other autoimmune diseases. Our goal is to define genetic and environmental risk factors for disease development and disease phenotype. We hope to understand the mechanisms involved in how these factors cause this impact. Identification of environmental risk factors for disease may lead to new treatment targets and to preventive strategies to modulate environmental factors to decrease the severity of illness or even prevent its onset.

Selected Publications

  1. Johnson C, Schiffenbauer AI, Perin J, Diwadkar AR, Joo J, Himes BE, Meyer NJ, Miller FW, Danoff SK; Myositis-ILD Study Group. HLA Alleles Associated with Interstitial Lung Disease in North Americans with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy [published online ahead of print, 2022 Oct 21]. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022;10.1164/rccm.202206-1116LE. doi:10.1164/rccm.202206-1116LE [Abstract Johnson C, Schiffenbauer AI, Perin J, Diwadkar AR, Joo J, Himes BE, Meyer NJ, Miller FW, Danoff SK; Myositis-ILD Study Group. HLA Alleles Associated with Interstitial Lung Disease in North Americans with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy [published online ahead of print, 2022 Oct 21]. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022;10.1164/rccm.202206-1116LE. doi:10.1164/rccm.202206-1116LE]
  2. Saardi KM, Rosenstein RK, Anadkat MJ, Micheletti RG, Schiffenbauer AI, Pavletic SZ, Cowen EW. Calcinosis Cutis in the Setting of Chronic Skin Graft-Versus-Host Disease. JAMA Dermatol. 2020;156(7):814-817. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1157 [Abstract Saardi KM, Rosenstein RK, Anadkat MJ, Micheletti RG, Schiffenbauer AI, Pavletic SZ, Cowen EW. Calcinosis Cutis in the Setting of Chronic Skin Graft-Versus-Host Disease. JAMA Dermatol. 2020;156(7):814-817. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1157]
  3. Chung MP, Richardson C, Kirakossian D, Orandi AB, Saketkoo LA, Rider LG, Schiffenbauer A, von Mühlen CA, Chung L; International Myositis Assessment; Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) Calcinosis Scientific Interest Group. Calcinosis Biomarkers in Adult and Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Autoimmun Rev. 2020;19(6):102533. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102533 [Abstract Chung MP, Richardson C, Kirakossian D, Orandi AB, Saketkoo LA, Rider LG, Schiffenbauer A, von Mühlen CA, Chung L; International Myositis Assessment; Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) Calcinosis Scientific Interest Group. Calcinosis Biomarkers in Adult and Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Autoimmun Rev. 2020;19(6):102533. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102533]
  4. Schiffenbauer A, Faghihi-Kashani S, O'Hanlon TP, Flegel WA, Adams SD, Targoff IN, Oddis CV, Ytterberg SR, Aggarwal R, Christopher-Stine L, Shamim EA, Dellaripa PF, Danoff SK, Mammen AL, Miller FW. The effect of cigarette smoking on the clinical and serological phenotypes of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;48(3):504-512. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.02.003 [Abstract Schiffenbauer A, Faghihi-Kashani S, O'Hanlon TP, Flegel WA, Adams SD, Targoff IN, Oddis CV, Ytterberg SR, Aggarwal R, Christopher-Stine L, Shamim EA, Dellaripa PF, Danoff SK, Mammen AL, Miller FW. The effect of cigarette smoking on the clinical and serological phenotypes of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;48(3):504-512. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.02.003]
  5. Schiffenbauer A, Garg M, Castro C, Pokrovnichka A, Joe G, Shrader J, Cabalar IV, Faghihi-Kashani S, Harris-Love MO, Plotz PH, Miller FW, Gourley M. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab in refractory polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;47(6):858-864. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2017.10.010 [Abstract Schiffenbauer A, Garg M, Castro C, Pokrovnichka A, Joe G, Shrader J, Cabalar IV, Faghihi-Kashani S, Harris-Love MO, Plotz PH, Miller FW, Gourley M. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab in refractory polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;47(6):858-864. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2017.10.010]