Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
Recent breakthroughs in stem cell-based treatments for arthritis may help delay joint replacement for some patients. Farshid Guilak, PhD, described the methods for creating bioartificial cartilage, its implications for inflammation, disease flare and more.... [Read More]
Three experts discuss the ins and outs of using magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose axial spondyloarthritis, particularly in individuals who lack clear clinical symptoms indicative of disease. ... [Read More]
Experts discussed the latest knowledge on B cell disease processes, and what it might mean for future B cell depletion therapies.... [Read More]
A great deal of progress has been made in the treatment of rheumatic diseases—from glucocorticoid use to the advent of biologic therapies. Gerd Burmester, MD, discussed this progress and the impact of biologics in this year’s Phillip Hench, MD, Memorial Lecture.... [Read More]
This ACR Convergence session discussed how recent advances in single-cell technologies are being used in rheumatic disease research.... [Read More]
Three experts discuss recent developments in the diagnosis & treatment of APS & the future direction of research.... [Read More]
The desire for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic has forced rheumatology fellowship programs to embrace virtual platforms. Here are some insights into how this change has affected recruitment in 2020.... [Read More]
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—The definition of cell type depends increasingly on a cell’s molecular features. On Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, Alex Kuo, PhD, senior scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., described six technologies that are relatively mature and can be used for rheumatic disease research: Rapidly developing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq); Cellular indexing… [Read More]
For women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), treatment with a combination of heparin and aspirin during pregnancy—rather than aspirin alone—may increase live birth rates, according to new research.... [Read More]
A Canadian study sought to identify individuals at high fracture risk and provide them with pharmacotherapy to prevent fractures. They found the assessment of hip and lumbar dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans for vertebral fracture can be useful in the identification of women and men aged 70 years and older who should qualify for anti-osteoporosis treatment…... [Read More]