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A new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital suggests that positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans could reveal hidden inflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are being treated with highly-effective treatments. The findings were published in Clinical Nuclear Medicine.Link naar het originele artikel

Atopic dermatitis (AD) negatively impacts patients' mental health (MH), especially when a patient has severe AD, according to a study published online March 14 in Dermatitis.Link naar het originele artikel

"We haven't had a full night's sleep since our son was born eight years ago," said Mrs. B, pointing to her son's dry, red and itchy skin.Link naar het originele artikel

Walgreens and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) have renewed their partnership to raise awareness about sarcoidosis and the importance of spring respiratory vaccines, as part of this April’s Sarcoidosis Awareness Month. Until the end of the month, all Alabama-based Walgreens stores will provide informational resources to their customers, who can learn about the disease and how it affects individuals within their community through displayed patient profiles. Moreover, customers may contribute to FSR’s mission by donating $1, $5, or $10 increments at checkout registers. FSR’s goal is to help improve treatments and care for people with sarcoidosis, through research, education, and support, to ultimately find a cure for the disease. “This year, more than ever, we are ‘saying sarcoidosis’ to raise awareness in healthcare and in the community amongst our partner locations at Walgreens,” said Joseph Barney, MD, a pulmonologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Medicine, in a foundation press release. “It is time for everyone to know who is affected by sarcoidosis and how they can get help.” Walgreens pharmacy and retail stores provide a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those allowing equitable access to care for medically underserved populations. Recommended Reading December 20, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD FSR awards $100K for 2 research projects into cardiac sarcoidosis Fostering awareness, raising funds for research, programs “Through this partnership, we aim to foster greater understanding of sarcoidosis while raising vital funds to drive research and support initiatives that enhance the lives of those affected by this complex disease,” said Mary McGowan, FSR’s CEO. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Walgreens once again to shine a spotlight on sarcoidosis, the importance of spring vaccines, and to extend our reach within Alabama communities,” she said. Sarcoidosis is caused by an overactive immune system that leads to chronic inflammation and the formation of small immune cell clumps, called granulomas, in some tissues and organs. Currently, the disease remains difficult to diagnose, and treatment options are limited to managing disease symptoms. To improve sarcoidosis diagnosis and treatment, FSR created the FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance, a program that joins clinics, hospitals, individual providers, patients, and caregivers, to offer community education and support, as well as comprehensive evidence-based care for people with sarcoidosis. The UAB is a founding member of the alliance. Moreover, through its partnership with Walgreens, FSR wants to remind patients whose lungs and hearts are affected to discuss vaccinations with their doctors, including vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus and pneumonia. Although sarcoidosis can affect any organ, the lungs are affected in nearly 90% of sarcoidosis patients. Respiratory syncytial virus is a common virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, in young children, older adults, or immunocompromised patients such as those with sarcoidosis, it may cause more severe infections. Pneumonia is also a respiratory infection, and of concern for sarcoidosis patients. It is commonly caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, and mainly affects the upper respiratory tract and the lungs. The post Walgreens, FSR unite in Alabama for Sarcoidosis Awareness Month appeared first on Sarcoidosis News. Link naar het originele artikel

A study by researchers at National Jewish Health published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that air pollutants—including particulate matter, pollen, greenhouse gases, and other harmful substances—can contribute to the development and exacerbation of allergic diseases by disrupting the skin barrier.Link naar het originele artikel

In a scientific breakthrough, Mount Sinai researchers have revealed the biological mechanisms by which a family of proteins known as histone deacetylases (HDACs) activate immune system cells linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases.Link naar het originele artikel

Call me naive. For years, I never understood why my cousin posted the time on Facebook every afternoon. I thought the Doobie Brothers were just a musical family, like the Pointer Sisters or the Jonas Brothers. (They weren’t.) My husband often teases that I grew up “under a mushroom” (by which he means I was sheltered). I’ve since learned that 420 is used to refer to marijuana, so references to 4:20 on the clock or 4/20 on the calendar are a bit of an inside joke for those who use it. I find it ironic that I had no idea about this. My parents were hippies who had their fair share of experience in that area. It was readily available in my college dorms, too. But I had no interest back then. Fast forward a decade or two, when I started living with chronic pain. Doctors had no idea why, so they had no way of treating it. A few friends suggested I try marijuana; my cousin (yes, that one) offered to get it for me. But as a good girl who grew up with ubiquitous “Just say no” and “This is your brain on drugs” campaigns, I could never do something “bad” like that. Recommended Reading April 16, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD All with sarcoidosis should have an eye screening, study suggests As the years continued, I still had no relief. I had headaches, neck pain, backaches, muscle soreness, abdominal pain, and joint pain. I hurt literally from head to toe, often leading to painsomnia (insomnia from pain). My friends still suggested; my cousin still offered. I still said no, but it was different. Now, only the law kept me from trying marijuana. I spent more years seeing more doctors and trying more treatments that didn’t help. By then, I’d been diagnosed with arthritis, chronic migraine, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, neuropathy, and sarcoidosis, with more diagnoses yet to come. We tried addressing the sarcoidosis symptoms and their underlying causes. We tried nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, opioids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and biologics. We tried pills, patches, injections, and infusions. We tried procedures under anesthesia and discussed implanted devices (though a few of my doctors didn’t want me to do that). And still, I was in pain. Every day. All day. The coming of cannabis In 2016, the law changed here in New York, making medical marijuana legal. My pain management doctor (who, coincidentally, was in my class in high school) asked if I’d ever tried it. When I said no, he referred me to another doctor who was licensed to certify me for the program. I knew marijuana was a legitimate treatment option for legitimate health concerns, but something about it still felt like I was sneaking around behind the bleachers. That is, until my first trip to the dispensary. The pharmacist there took time to explain everything to me. I learned about the difference between cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and what each would be best suited for. I learned about different products, such as edibles, topicals, and oils. And for a beginner, they added, the rule was “start low, go slow” — that is, begin with the lowest dosage and adjust gradually as you see how it affects you. Finally! I’ve been using cannabis to manage my chronic pain for nearly eight years now. It’s not a miracle cure and doesn’t leave me pain-free, but it’s definitely helpful. I use a powder mixed into my coffee in the morning to fight inflammation, as well as topicals for localized muscle or joint pain. I have an oil spray that helps with my acid reflux, especially at night, and I take edibles as needed for breakthrough or acute pain. Still, cannabis is perceived differently from “traditional” medications. For a long time, I didn’t want to tell anyone that I was using medical marijuana. I couldn’t bear the response from most people, which would just show how much they didn’t understand. I wasn’t a stoner, partying, or getting wasted. I was using medication to treat a condition. But that didn’t stop the comments, the jokes, the requests to share. It all felt so dismissive of me and my suffering. That response affected when, where, and how I would use cannabis to treat my chronic pain. Though I was advised that vaping would give the quickest response (and it was approved by my pulmonologist), I didn’t want others to notice. Instead, I used forms that took longer to relieve my pain because they were less obvious. And I referred only to “pain medication” when sharing my story because I knew what people would think if I named it. But nothing will change if we don’t speak up. I always want to educate, comfort, and offer hope to others who are struggling. Marijuana is a legitimate treatment option, as worthy of a conversation with your doctor as any other medication. Now, I’m just looking forward to the 4/20 sale at my dispensary! Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis. The post My journey to accepting cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain appeared first on Sarcoidosis News. Link naar het originele artikel

By 2050, it is predicted that one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 years or over. We have seen increases in lifespan over the last number of decades; however, this is not necessarily complemented by increases in health, which is increasing strain on health and social care services.Link naar het originele artikel

A team of researchers at the University of Missouri is uncovering how the juice from red cabbage, long used in traditional medicine, can alleviate inflammation-associated digestive health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in mice, offering hope to the estimated 3 million Americans who suffer from IBD, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.Link naar het originele artikel

Here's a surprising statistic: Nearly 50% of people with asthma do not take their medications as prescribed. That means they risk a flare-up of symptoms or a visit to the emergency room. Asthma researchers have studied medication adherence in children and adults to improve patient education, but rarely the population that bridges those groups: young adults.Link naar het originele artikel

More than half of sarcoidosis patients who were subjected to eye examinations were diagnosed with uveitis, an eye inflammation that may cause vision loss, according to a recent study. Despite most of those diagnosed patients showing acute symptoms, almost a quarter of those completely asymptomatic also had the condition. Blurred vision, eye pain, and respiratory issues were associated with a higher risk of developing uveitis. “Our study highlights the importance of ophthalmic [eye] screening of all patients with systemic sarcoidosis, even in asymptomatic patients,” to enable detection and timely treatment of potentially vision-threatening disease, the researchers wrote. The study, “Role of screening for uveitis in subjects with sarcoidosis,” was published in the journal Respiratory Medicine. Recommended Reading February 4, 2021 News by Diana Campelo Delgado Inflammation Limited to Front of Eye Can Aid Recovery in Ocular Sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis is characterized by an overactive immune system that leads to the formation of small clumps of inflammatory cells, called granulomas, in different tissues and organs, affecting their function. Ocular involvement is common in sarcoidosis, often including uveitis or dry eye. Uveitis, an inflammation of the uvea (the eye’s middle layer, responsible for blood supply to the retina), is a frequent and early feature of sarcoidosis and a potentially treatable cause of vision loss. Therefore, ophthalmic evaluation is recommended for all sarcoidosis patients, regardless of eye symptoms. “However, it is unknown if such widescale screening programmes are effective,” the researchers, mostly from New Zealand, wrote. They noted a recent study that had concluded screening exams were indicated for patients with ocular symptoms, but had no benefit for asymptomatic patients. The retrospective analysis and its results To further explore this issue, researchers retrospectively evaluated 88 people with sarcoidosis and no previous history of uveitis, all followed by an ophthalmology center between January 2016 and May 2022. Patients were mainly men (51.1%) and had a mean age of 50.1 years. For most patients (69.3%), the sarcoidosis diagnosis was confirmed through a biopsy, which involves collecting a small piece of tissue to be analyzed in the laboratory. All had systemic sarcoidosis, mostly with respiratory involvement (84.1%), followed by skin (20.5%) and joint (10.2%) involvement. Almost two-thirds of the patients (54 patients, 61.4%) were asymptomatic, although half of these (27 patients) were found to have symptoms suggestive of uveitis after careful analysis of the patient’s history. Moreover, about a third (34 patients, 38.6%) showed acute symptoms, of which almost all (94.1%) were diagnosed with uveitis. Overall, blurred vision occurred in 34 patients (38.6%), red eye in 23 patients (26.1%), and eye pain in 19 patients (21.6%). Floaters were present in 14 patients (15.9%) and light sensitivity in 12 patients (13.6%). Among the 27 patients who were completely asymptomatic at screening, uveitis was detected in six patients (22.2%). Before their eyes were examined, 27 patients were already being treated with systemic immunosuppressant therapies for sarcoidosis: 18 in the screening examination group and nine in the acutely presenting group. A treatment change was initiated in 45 patients, including topic or systemic immunosuppression, medication to reduce ocular pressure, injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor to slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye, or laser treatment. The remaining five patients with uveitis were already on systemic immunosuppression or had been kept under observation. A multivariate analysis, which assesses the contribution of several factors for a particular outcome, showed patients with blurred vision had a 26.2 times higher risk of having uveitis, while eye pain increased the risk by 7.3 times and respiratory involvement by 7.1 times. Moreover, among 41 patients with no uveitis at the initial examination, three (7.3%) subsequently developed the condition. At the final follow-up evaluation, sarcoid uveitis had been diagnosed in more than half of the patients (56.8%), in most cases affecting both eyes. “Ophthalmologists should educate patients to look out for the development of symptoms of ocular inflammation,” the researchers wrote, adding that “clinicians who continue follow up for systemic sarcoidosis should remind patients to watch carefully for these symptoms to facilitate timely diagnosis and intervention.” The post All with sarcoidosis should have an eye screening, study suggests appeared first on Sarcoidosis News. Link naar het originele artikel

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness on a person's face.Link naar het originele artikel

Whether reeling from a sudden stroke or buckling under the sustained assault of Alzheimer's, the brain becomes inflamed, leading to cognitive problems and even death.Link naar het originele artikel

In a world-first, QIMR Berghofer scientists have discovered the mechanism that causes severe inflammation among millions of people with chronic liver disease.Link naar het originele artikel

Some diseases involve autoimmune reactions when the body begins to attack its own cells and proteins. The biological mechanisms underlying these diseases are often unknown, making treatment challenging. Now, a group at TMDU has created a murine model for a disease known as "anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis." The use of this model has allowed them to identify components of the immune system that are vital in disease development, with implications for future treatments.Link naar het originele artikel

Health care providers and patients have traditionally thought that infections patients get while in the hospital are caused by superbugs they're exposed to while they're in a medical facility. Genetic data from the bacteria causing these infections—think CSI for E. coli—tells another story: Most health care-associated infections are caused by previously harmless bacteria that patients already had on their bodies before they even entered the hospital.Link naar het originele artikel

New research by SAHMRI and the University of Adelaide has shown a diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPF) significantly increases the risk of death from chronic respiratory diseases.Link naar het originele artikel

Stabilized bioactive retinol is efficacious for improving signs of photoaging, without causing major irritation, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.Link naar het originele artikel

Cortisone and other related glucocorticoids are extremely effective at curbing excessive immune reactions. But previously, astonishingly little was known about how they exactly do that. A team of researchers from Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Uniklinikum Erlangen and Ulm University have now explored the molecular mechanism of action in greater detail.Link naar het originele artikel

The inflammation process plays a crucial role in allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. Although the pulmonary epithelium, the carpet of cells that forms the inner surface of the lungs, is recognized as a major player in the respiratory inflammation that causes these diseases, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood.Link naar het originele artikel

A first patient has been dosed in Scotland as part of Molecure’s Phase 2 clinical trial — taking place in the U.S. and Europe — that will test the pulmonary sarcoidosis treatment candidate OATD-01 versus a placebo. “The first administration to a patient with pulmonary sarcoidosis is the realization of our mission focused on helping and transforming the lives of patients with incurable diseases through the development of therapies and the opportunity to offer them new treatment options,” Marcin Szumowski, PhD, Molecure’s CEO, said in a company press release. “Launched in the UK, the Phase [2] trial involving patients with active disease … is a significant milestone in the clinical development of our lead program,” Szumowski said. The proof-of-concept KITE study (NCT06205121) aims to recruit about 100 adults with active pulmonary sarcoidosis — both those treatment-naïve and individuals previously given other therapies. The trial will run at approximately 20-30 centers in all, across the European Union, as well as in Norway, the U.K., and the U.S. Its launch followed a green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year. Recommended Reading October 18, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Occupational exposures raise risk of pulmonary sarcoidosis: Study Pulmonary sarcoidosis treatment aims to reduce inflammation Simbec Orion, a clinical research organization, is responsible for the organization and comprehensive conduct of the study. The findings are expected by the end of 2025, according to Molecure. “The results of this study will be strategically important for further value creation and commercialization of OATD-01,” Szumowski said. In pulmonary sarcoidosis, granulomas — small clumps of inflammatory cells — accumulate in the lungs, leading to inflammation and scarring, called fibrosis. OATD-01 is a small oral molecule designed to block the activity of chitotriosidase 1 (CHIT1), an enzyme involved in multiple immune functions that’s found at high levels in the lungs and blood of sarcoidosis patients. Greater CHIT1 activity has been linked to higher granuloma burden and disease activity. By suppressing this enzyme’s activity, OATD-01 is expected to slow pulmonary sarcoidosis progression and other lung diseases also linked to CHIT1 activity. “It is a landmark moment also because it is the first time that a chitotriosidase 1 inhibitor has been offered to patients,” said Szumowski, who called Molecure “a pioneer and global leader in the development of therapies based on the inhibition of chitinase activity.” According to Szumowski, this “proof-of-concept in human” study will be crucial in “validating this therapeutic approach, as there is a whole spectrum of diseases whose development is associated with similar molecular mechanisms.” Recommended Reading December 13, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Acthar Gel may be cost-effective for treating pulmonary sarcoidosis OATD-01 showed benefits in mouse models of sarcoidosis-like disease In preclinical studies, OATD-01 was able to ease inflammation and reduce the number of lung granulomas in mouse models of sarcoidosis-like disease. Samson Fung, MD, chief medical officer and board member of Molecure, said the company is “proud” to have moved into human testing. “In a broad spectrum of preclinical studies, we have confirmed the great potential of OATD-01 to become the new standard of care for pulmonary sarcoidosis,” Fung said, noting further that data from a Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers indicated OATD-01 was safe and could strongly suppress CHIT1. Now, in the Phase 2 study, “we aim to demonstrate that blocking chitinases in patients has a therapeutic effect and inhibits inflammatory processes,” Fung said. In a broad spectrum of preclinical studies, we have confirmed the great potential of OATD-01 to become the new standard of care for pulmonary sarcoidosis. In the trial, patients will be randomly assigned to 25 mg OATD-01 or a placebo, taken once a day for 12 weeks, or about three months. The main goal, as agreed by the FDA, is to determine the effectiveness of OATD-01 in reducing granuloma-associated inflammation in lung tissue, which will be assessed by PET and CT scans. Additional parameters include lung function, heart and neurological assessments, as well as safety. “The primary endpoint of the study is the arrest or reversal of disease progression and lung damage as assessed by the granulomatous inflammation reduction score,” Fung said. “The therapy also aims to alleviate the symptoms of the disease understood as an improvement in lung function … as well as an improvement in quality of life and a shift away from corticosteroids.’’ A statistical sub-analysis will be conducted with about 50 patients who complete the three-month study. This analysis will be conducted by an independent committee and will inform on the total number of patients needed for the trial. The post Dosing begins in trial of pulmonary sarcoidosis treatment OATD-01 appeared first on Sarcoidosis News. Link naar het originele artikel

Scientific articles on the common skin condition atopic dermatitis contain almost no images of patients, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. More images would make it easier for patients to participate in decisions about their own care.Link naar het originele artikel

Researchers at the University of Toronto and its partner hospitals have created a unique heart-on-a-chip model that is helping untangle the causes of COVID-19-induced heart inflammation and uncover strategies to reduce its impact.Link naar het originele artikel

I think I’m the least prepared I’ve ever been for Sarcoidosis Awareness Month. Or perhaps I’m the least busy I’ve been on these occasions. I know a lack of preparedness and a lack of busyness aren’t the same, but something in my head makes them both feel like a negative reflection on me. I know that shouldn’t be. In fact, I’ve preached to whoever would listen that our worth isn’t based on our productivity. I even wrote a column about it and included it in my recent book, “Kaleidoscope: Rare Disease Stories,” because it’s such an important message. I believe that wholeheartedly. It’s just hard for it to sink in sometimes. I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in late 2015. In the years before then, when I had rotating autoimmune arthritis (mis)diagnoses, I’d become an active advocate for those with arthritis. After learning I had sarcoidosis, I was excited to shift (or, more realistically, expand) my advocacy toward that disease. I embraced purple and snowflakes, the disease’s color and symbol. Recommended Reading April 2, 2024 News by Mary Chapman For this year’s awareness month, ‘Say Sarcoidosis’ For my first Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in 2016, I was eager to jump into everything. When I saw a “purple challenge” asking people to post a photo of something purple on social media, I took it a bit further, wearing and posting something purple every day that month. In the years since, I’ve created “Walk ‘n’ Roll” events (like walkathons, but including those of us who use wheelchairs or scooters), hosted support groups, organized awareness trips to New York City, and gotten proclamations in my county. When the world shut down because of COVID-19, I shifted my efforts to virtual ones, with special-guest Twitter chats and podcasts, as well as social media posts featuring Self-Care Sundays, Mental Health Mondays, Warrior Wednesdays, Fun Fact Fridays, Sarc Strong Saturdays, a Caregiver Corner, and purple power posts in between. (What can I say? I like alliteration!) As of this writing, I’ve got none of that this year. My contributions this Sarcoidosis Awareness Month For the past several months, I’ve been so busy finishing, publishing, and promoting my book that I haven’t had much time for anything else. But I’m going to claim the book as a sarcoidosis awareness activity since it includes stories from several people with the disease. I co-hosted a podcast last week with the International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis). Our focus for this episode, which will be available Sunday, April 7, was “Social Wellness with AiArthritis Diseases.” While it’s easy to say how these diseases negatively affect our social lives, we also discussed low-energy options to combat the isolation we so often feel. Since sarcoidosis is the primary cause of my inflammatory arthritis, I’m claiming that for my Sarcoidosis Awareness Month efforts, too. And of course, there’s this column. But I don’t have it in me to do more right now. And I’m trying to be OK with that. I’m giving myself emotional whiplash, going back and forth with this idea. I need to be OK with doing less, but I also feel I need to do more. We all matter, and we all have value without having to work for it, but I feel I have to justify that by working hard enough to make it so. When I think about it, life with sarcoidosis is filled with this type of predicament. I was trying to explain it to my physical therapist just this afternoon. I’ve been flaring with severe pain and fatigue, so I haven’t been able to do my exercises — and because I haven’t been doing my exercises, I’m having more pain. Together, we’re trying to figure out just how much we can push for improvement without it backfiring into an even worse flare. Raising awareness brings about another paradox. The reason I feel I can’t do much is the reason that I need to. Like so many others with invisible illnesses, I look fine on the outside. To the untrained eye, I’ve got it easy: I have a wonderful husband who takes care of me, so I don’t need to have a job and can just relax at home doing whatever I want. But that’s far from my reality. I do have a wonderful husband who takes care of me, but that’s because I need him to. “Relaxing” at home is more like shifting around on the sofa for hours, trying to find the least painful position, fighting to stay awake yet unable to fall asleep, reading the same paragraph five times because brain fog has left me unable to process it. It also means looking around at the mess I’m not able to clean up. Raising awareness means telling my story and sharing the reality of my life with sarcoidosis, but living with sarcoidosis means that I can’t raise awareness all the time. This month (and beyond), you can help with that. You can share my story, or better yet, share your own! Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis. The post Raising awareness of sarcoidosis isn’t easy, but it’s important appeared first on Sarcoidosis News. Link naar het originele artikel

Scientists at King's College London have discovered a new cause for asthma that sparks hope for treatment that could prevent the life-threatening disease.Link naar het originele artikel