This study will find out more about calcinosis, the development of calcium deposits in various parts of the body, in people with dermatomyositis (DM) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). Calcinosis can be painful and cause disabilities and other problems, so scientists want to find treatments for it.
Who Can Participate?
- Participants aged 7 older.
- Individuals with moderate to severe calcinosis involving 2 extremities or the torso.
What Is Required?
- Physical exam, several diagnostic tests, medical history, questionnaires, and blood samples
- IV infusion of sodium thiosulfate 3 times a week for 6 to 10 weeks at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, M.D.
- Transportation reimbursement and compensation for participants
Who Is Running the Study?
- The Calcinosis Study is conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lead Researchers

Adam I. Schiffenbauer, M.D.
adam.schiffenbauer@nih.gov
Adam Schiffenbauer, M.D. is an Associate Research Physician in the Environmental Autoimmunity Group, and an adult rheumatologist with an expertise in myositis. He received his B.A. from The University of Chicago and his M.D. from Pennsylvania State University. He completed an internal medicine residency at George Washington University, and his fellowship in rheumatology at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. He then joined Dr. Frederick Miller’s group in NIEHS in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Schiffenbauer’s work has been focused on environmental and genetic risk factors, phenotypes, pathogenesis, advanced imaging, evaluation, and therapeutic trials in myositis.

Lisa Rider, M.D. is Deputy Chief of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group, and a pediatric rheumatologist with an international reputation for her work on juvenile myositis. She received her B.A. and M.D. from Duke University, completed a pediatrics residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital of University of Washington, and her fellowship in pediatric rheumatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington D.C. and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. She then joined Dr. Frederick Miller’s group in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration and subsequently moved to NIEHS in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Rider’s work has been focused on environmental and genetic risk factors, phenotypes, pathogenesis, outcomes, evaluation, and therapeutic trials in juvenile myositis and other systemic pediatric rheumatic diseases. She has co-led national and international myositis collaborative research groups, and authored from than 170 research publications, reviews, books, and book chapters. She has received several awards of distinction.
Research Webpage
For More Information About This Study
- Protocol Number: 17-E-0161
- Study Background and Protocols
This content is available to use on your website.
Please visit NIEHS Syndication to get started.