https://medicalxpress.com/rheumatology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Rheumatology Early results from a UCL- and UCLH-led clinical trial suggest that a type of CAR T-cell therapy—developed by Autolus Therapeutics, a UCL spinout—could offer a new treatment approach for people with severe, treatment-resistant lupus. The findings, presented at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2026), come from the ongoing Phase I CARLYSLE study, which is evaluating obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel) in patients with severe refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The early data indicate that the therapy has a favorable safety profile and may lead to meaningful improvements in disease activity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-car-cell-therapy-early-severe.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:20:06 EDT news700739769 Sjögren's disease is a widespread chronic autoimmune disorder that attacks the body's own glands, yet its underlying disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a recent study, researchers from Japan discovered a self-reinforcing loop between different immune cells that sustains autoimmune responses in patients with Sjögren's disease. Their findings pave the way for safer and more effective therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-scientists-reveal-autoimmune-vicious-sjgren.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news700386541 A clinical trial led by researchers from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) compared the effectiveness of abatacept and hydroxychloroquine in preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis in patients with palindromic rheumatism, an autoimmune disease that progresses to arthritis in approximately half of all patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-drug-rheumatoid-arthritis-clinical-trial.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:20:04 EDT news700323722 A combination of two widely available anti-rheumatic drugs offers the first effective and affordable treatment for patients with Sjögren's disease with systemic disease activity, according to new results from a clinical trial coordinated by UMC Utrecht. The study showed that treatment with leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine reduced disease activity in patients with moderate-to-severe disease while maintaining a favorable safety profile. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-common-arthritis-drugs-sjgren-disease.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news699978269 Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues found that a new drug, obexelimab, significantly reduces the risk of relapse in patients with IgG4-related disease, a rare chronic immune condition often misdiagnosed as cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-drug-relapse-rare-immune-disorder.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:20:07 EDT news699803308 Researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht have uncovered a previously underappreciated mechanism that helps immune cells to respond rapidly to infections. Using advanced long-read RNA sequencing, the team shows that alternative RNA splicing, which means how genes are edited into different messenger RNA variants, plays a central role in shaping immune responses. The findings provide new insights into immune-mediated diseases (such as infections, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus) and may open the door to more targeted therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-rna-sequencing-method-reveals-hidden.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:40:03 EDT news699636061 A major international study led by researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford has found that osteoarthritis (OA)—the most common form of arthritis worldwide—is not a collection of separate diseases, as many scientists had previously speculated, but rather a single condition with common core underlying biological pathways. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-largest-knee-osteoarthritis-tissue-reveals.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:20:02 EDT news699623101 Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted to people by infected Aedes mosquitoes and characterized by high fever and intense joint swelling and pain, has made a resurgence in many countries around the world in recent years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-chikungunya-virus-infections-chronic.html Sat, 30 May 2026 16:00:02 EDT news699190591 According to researchers at Semmelweis University, not only inflammation, but also sleep disorders, depression, obesity, and smoking may sustain persistent rheumatic symptoms. In their publications in the journals Nature Reviews Rheumatology and The Lancet Rheumatology, they also proposed a model that can help identify and treat the true causes of symptoms in time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-depression-consequence-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Thu, 28 May 2026 10:40:06 EDT news699180361 At age 49, Jan Janisch-Hanzlik's multiple sclerosis was destroying her freedom to live the life she wanted. She gave up her active nursing job for a desk role. Frequent falls made her afraid to carry her grandchildren. She had to move to a bigger house to make room for the wheelchair she feared she might end up needing full-time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-car-cancer-autoimmune-disease-immune.html Tue, 26 May 2026 11:40:01 EDT news699012782 Involving a collaboration with 118 investigators contributing from 89 institutions, scientists from Queen Mary University of London's Precision Healthcare University Research Institute and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité have led the world's largest study on the genetic regulation of blood proteins. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-blood-protein-people-uncovers-disease.html Wed, 06 May 2026 15:20:27 EDT news697289341 Bone marrow is the spongy tissue located within the hollow center of bones, serving as the primary site for the continuous production of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Despite its physiological importance, the developmental mechanism by which this soft tissue is formed within the rigid confines of hard bone has remained largely unknown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bones-marrow-newly-cells-reappear.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news696614941 Kidney damage is a serious complication affecting individuals with lupus, an autoimmune disease where immune B cells malfunction and produce antibodies that attack the body's own cells, tissues, and organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cells-culprit-kidney-lupus.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news696585602 The University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research has found that the commonly prescribed medication, Diacerein, does not improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms, following a national study. Diacerein, a medication derived from plants such as rhubarb and aloe vera, has long been recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used to treat osteoarthritis in Europe and Asia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-common-drug-ease-knee-osteoarthritis.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:20:01 EDT news696004081 Arthritis includes a range of conditions that affect the joints, from inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis to more common conditions like osteoarthritis. Many people experience pain, stiffness, and a reduced quality of life. Treatment today focuses on reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms, depending on the type of arthritis. However, researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University have now identified a new possible route for future treatments. Their research is published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-glp-joint-fluid-weight-loss.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:05 EDT news695569381 Scientists investigating the naturally occurring immunopeptide PEPITEM have shown reductions in arthritic joint swelling to a degree comparable to the current standard of care, and reduce the inflammatory changes that cause joint damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pepitem-therapy-potential-early-stage.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:02 EDT news695035561 Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a specialized protein, also called a neurotrophin, that is critical for the development and survival of nerves responsible for our senses and the body's fight-or-flight response. While the presence of NGF is crucial during the embryonic stage, its presence in adults is often an indication of inflammation, as it is a key mediator of pain for conditions like osteoarthritis (OA). Now, a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows that NGF is much more than a pain messenger—it can actually change the structure of a joint. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-nerve-growth-factor-triggers-osteoarthritis.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694867180 The immune system is designed to protect us against viruses and bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system instead attacks the body's own cells. Conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and rheumatoid arthritis are well-known examples. It is estimated that just under 250,000 people in Norway live with some form of autoimmune disease, with approximately 8% to 10% of the population worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-overactive-immune-cancer.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news694958762 For the first time, scientists have used a modern cell therapy called CAR-T to treat a patient with three different life-threatening autoimmune diseases that had resisted years of treatment. The patient, who once required daily blood infusions, has been in remission without needing additional treatment for a year since the CAR-T therapy. The case report, published in Med, suggests that CAR-T therapies can help treat complex and severe autoimmune diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-car-therapy-remission-patient-autoimmune.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:04 EDT news694881961 Good news: Scientists may be closer to a new way to treat arthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-ways-regrow-joints-arthritis.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news694783635 Skin, our largest organ, acts as a protective barrier against pathogens that try to invade our bodies while constantly monitoring for potential threats. In the skin's outermost layer, the epidermis, reside keratinocytes, cells that detect danger and actively orchestrate the body's immune response. How these cells perform this task in a localized manner and then communicate the message with the entire immune system had been a mystery, but now a team of researchers from China has uncovered the signaling pathway. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-skin-alarm-pathway-links.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:20:04 EDT news693479936 Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This disease prompts the immune system to mistakenly attack body tissues, particularly joints, leading to inflammation, swelling, stiffness and pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-immune-pathway-pain-arthritis.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:40:03 EDT news693227000 Injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, could be an effective and well-tolerated option for treating debilitating complications caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers, such as acute digital ischemia (which makes the fingers very painful, cold and sometimes white or bluish), digital ulcers (open wounds that heal poorly), and gangrene, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-botox-therapeutic-approach-finger-ulcers.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EDT news693221281 Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations. The disease is characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage, which normally cushions the bones within joints. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-key-protein-cartilage-osteoarthritis-treatment.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:40:01 EDT news693221162