Issue 3

S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, said that the significant prevalence of monoclonal gammopathies and their association with a variety of conditions, including multiple myeloma, make this topic important for clinicians.

The session will include discussion of the development of the new classification criteria for lupus, including the concept of “incomplete lupus” as it pertains to identifying patients who may not meet all of the classification criteria.

Wnt signaling pathway research that is moving toward early stage clinical trials could provide the first disease modifying treatments for OA.

Two researchers who have contributed greatly to understanding the role of the inflammasome and cytokines will share their knowledge Tuesday morning during a Basic Science session.

Recent research shows that Tfh cells are not the only players in T cell/B cell interactions leading to autoimmune disease. There are also populations of extrafollicular T helper cells that can affect T cell/B cell interactions.

M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of the Department of Rheumatic & Immunologic Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, said given the number of new therapeutics available for PsA, it’s important for rheumatologists to become familiar with the new options in terms of mechanisms…

Gordon Starkebaum, MD, said the session’s goal was to cover useful information and also to engender discussion. The audience will be able to submit questions for the expert panel during the session.

At different stages in research, type 1 interferon (IFN) has been identified as a causal factor in lupus, a biomarker, and a potential therapeutic target. IFN can play all three roles, but recently there has been much debate about whether IFN is a therapeutic target.

Students of all ages and levels rely on high-quality feedback to improve their knowledge and skills — making the delivery of effective, real-time feedback.

To bring rheumatologists up to date on various recent proposals to restrict reproductive healthcare for women and how that may impact care of their patients, a rheumatologist will join an attorney to review pending laws and their status during a session on Tuesday.