The Rheumatology Research Foundation is now offering the Innovative Research Award for Community Practitioners; tailored for physicians interested in disease investigation, it supports research ideas specific to clinical practice. The distinct perspective of clinical rheumatologists opens a window of opportunity for disease investigation that merits support for novel research. With the increasing prevalence of rheumatic…
Disease outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have improved dramatically since the introduction of biologic agents and improved treatment strategies. Nevertheless, the majority of patients still require prolonged, if not lifelong, therapy. Therefore, the ultimate goal would be to prevent RA. This study analyzed the effect of a one-year course of methotrexate in high-risk UA patients (studied in a previous trial) after post-randomization exclusion of patients without a high risk of developing RA…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Conference goers who braved the final day of the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting were awarded for their stamina by learning about issues relating to the damage caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during the session Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—Clinical Aspects and Treatment V: Damage and Morbidity. Minimizing Damage: Early Use of GC-Sparing Strategies Jayne Little,…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Experts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting session, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—Clinical Aspects and Treatment IV: Biomarkers, reported on a number of recent studies showing advancement in our understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that place these patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other comorbidities. Mechanisms of CVD Risk…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new, humanized anti-BDCA2 monoclonal antibody can trigger inhibition of the production of interferon, cytokines and chemokines derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cells in patients with cutaneous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to research presented at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The findings were discussed during a session on SLE treatment, drug adherence and the…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Speaking at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in a session titled ARHP: Immunology Boot Camp I: Basis of Targeted Therapy, a rheumatologist and immunology expert gave a guided tour of the immune system, described what can go wrong with it and outlined what physicians can do when it does. Troy Torgerson, MD, PhD, associate…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Challenges abound for the manufacturing of biosimilar drugs—from their sheer size compared with small molecule drugs to the unknowable proprietary aspects of the originator drugs—an expert said at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in a session titled Immunology Update: Biologic Agents: From Nature to Protein Engineering to Biosimilars. Above all, because biosimilars are copies…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Researchers have identified nine new genetic loci linked with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), along with evidence that at least some of them likely play a functional role, such as cytokine signaling and T cell expression. The findings were presented in an abstract session at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, which also included a presentation…
Introduction: Major advances in the past two decades have enhanced our understanding of the complex interactions between the immune system and cancer cells and their environment. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in tumor cells result in the expression of diverse antigens that can elicit an immune response, primarily mediated by T cells. Immune responses are regulated…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ongoing investigation into the disease mechanisms of inflammatory myopathies is generating needed information for the development of potential future therapeutic targets, and current data from clinical trials have shed light on myopathy concerns in different cohorts of patients. These issues were all discussed in a session titled Muscle Biology, Myositis, and Myopathies I during…