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Lara C. Pullen, PhD

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.

Articles by Lara C. Pullen, PhD

Low Levels of Vitamin D3 May Increase OA Pain

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  December 20, 2016

In a study of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), researchers found that the cytokine IL-17A may play a role in the pain associated with the disease. Specifically, decreased serum levels of vitamin D3 may contribute to OA pain via the regulation of immune responses…

New Insights into Cartilage & Tendon Differentiation

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  December 19, 2016

By examining the phenotypic plasticity of cartilage and tendon cells, researchers found that oxidative stress and P13K signaling pathways are key modulators of the phenotype of musculoskeletal cells. Using monolayer and three-dimensional cultures, the experiments confirmed that dedifferentiation occurs via reductions in expression of genes for cartilage (Col2a1, Agcn) and tendon (Tnmd, Serpinf1)…

Fecal Metabolomics Implicate Tryptophan Pathway in Pediatric Spondyloarthritis

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  December 12, 2016

Using metabolomic profiling of fecal samples of children with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), researchers found that children with ERA may have lower levels of tryptophan metabolites. This finding may be attributable to differences in the gut microbiota that contribute to their pro-inflammatory phenotype…

New Insights into the Structure of Collagen Fibril

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  December 5, 2016

A study of knee and hip articular cartilage found that thick fibers were bundles of thin fibrils—like a multi-thread rope in which each thread corresponds to a prototypic sub-fibril. The organization of the fibers also differed between the cartilages of distinct tissues, which may explain how a breakdown in the fiber pattern contributes to pathology…

Varicella Zoster Virus Downregulates Programmed Death & Promotes Inflammation

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  November 28, 2016

A recent study found that the varicella zoster virus downregulates expression of programmed death ligand 1 and major histocompatibility complex 1 in brain fibroblasts, perineurial cells and lung fibroblasts. These effects may lead to persistent inflammation in the vessels and lungs, as well as promote subsequent infection of T cells and the spread of the virus…

Patients with Parkinson’s Disease Are at Risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  November 21, 2016

Patients with Parkinson’s disease may be at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). New research examined why patients with Parkinson’s have a higher incidence of CTS than that of the general population. The study found that those patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation to monitor them for neuropathy may develop CTS…

Lateral Hip Pain: Could It Be Gluteal Tendinopathy?

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  November 14, 2016

Researchers recently found that physical tests that involve an active muscle contraction were most useful in identifying gluteal tendinopathy in patients with lateral hip pain. However, patients who were not palpably tender over the greater trochanter were unlikely to have GT detected during an MRI…

Metabolomic Profiles: A Biomarker for the Biological Treatment of RA

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  November 7, 2016

A recent study suggests that metabolites may be a biomarker for disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For the first time, researchers identified serum metabolomic profiles and 16 clinical parameters that serve as a reasonably predictive model for a patient’s therapeutic response to biological treatment of RA, specifically TNF-α inhibitor therapy…

SSRIs Act Centrally to Cause Bone Loss

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  October 31, 2016

In a recent study, investigators examined the effects of both the short- and long-term use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the development and loss of bone. The study results describe the mechanisms by which SSRIs, specifically fluoxetine, affect osteoclasts short term to increase bone mass, but also how the treatment may cause bone loss at six weeks in mice…

Otulipenia: From Inflammatory Case Studies to Treatment

Lara C. Pullen, PhD  |  October 24, 2016

Otulipenia is a recently discovered autoinflammatory disease caused by germline mutations, which results in dysregulated ubiquitination in patients. In a small-scale study, researchers used exome sequencing and candidate gene screening to identify three different loss-of-function mutations in the OTULIN/FAM105B gene in patients…

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