https://medicalxpress.com/rheumatology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Rheumatology A study shows that exposure to air pollution, especially fine particulate matter like dust, soot and smoke (PM2.5), is associated with increased disease activity and flare risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-air-pollution-linked-spikes-rheumatoid.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:10:02 EDT news704968383 Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by eosinophilia, an abnormal increase in eosinophils—a type of white blood cell—and inflammation of small blood vessels across multiple organs, which can lead to organ damage. The disease is often preceded by asthma or chronic rhinosinusitis and has been designated an intractable disease in Japan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-insights-genetic-architecture-rare-inflammatory.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:40:05 EDT news704977716 Microbiology researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have discovered why patients with the autoimmune disease lupus are susceptible to serious bacterial infections. Their new study published in Cell Press Blue shows that lupus-associated inflammatory signals can reprogram white blood cells, rendering them less effective against Staphylococcus aureus infection. Instead of producing the most protective antibacterial response, these neutrophils shift toward a less effective form of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-lupus-linked-immune-misdirection-patients.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:40:03 EDT news704980201 Ever notice how chatbots often insist on making up an answer instead of admitting defeat? Like a student desperately scribbling nonsense to avoid handing in a blank page, large language models (LLMs) seem to live by the make-it-up-as-you-go principle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-egot-ai-dots-domains.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:05 EDT news704701261 New genetic risk factors have been identified for fibromyalgia syndrome in a landmark study that involved scientists at King's College London. The study, published in Nature Medicine, highlights how the nervous system plays an important role in the development of the disorder. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-genetic-factors-fibromyalgia-largest-kind.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news704366821 Colorado is one of a handful of states with a review board for drug prices and one of only four with a board empowered to set upper limits on what state agencies, insurers and other purchasers may pay or be reimbursed for certain high-cost drugs dispensed to patients in the state. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-colorado-state-cap-drug-price.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news703772768 Millions of people worldwide suffer from osteoporosis, a disease marked by progressive bone loss, weakened skeletal strength and increased fracture risk. Healthy bone is maintained through continuous remodeling, where osteoblasts build new bone and osteoclasts remove old or damaged bone. Under normal conditions, these processes remain balanced. However, when osteoclast activity becomes excessive, bone resorption outpaces bone formation, leading to osteoporosis and other osteolytic disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-inflammation-caspase-unexpected-role-bone.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:40:09 EDT news704114641 For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the timing of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor initiation relative to administration of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) can affect early response and arthritis control, according to a research letter published online July 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-jak-shingles-vaccine-administration-affect.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:00:01 EDT news703868997 A study published online in the open-access journal RMD Open has linked specific imbalances and disruptions in the oral microbiome to symptomatic hand arthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-imbalances-oral-microbiome-linked-symptomatic.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:30:05 EDT news703851062 Many fractures are early-warning signs of osteoporosis. Yet in everyday clinical care, they often go unrecognized and undocumented as warning signs, according to a new nationwide Austrian study by the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Osteology (LBI Osteology). Men are affected more often. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-bone-fractures-unlinked-osteoporosis.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news703758983 Interferon alpha is an inflammatory mediator that can cause Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease. This was revealed in a study carried out by University Hospital Bonn together with the University of Bonn, the University of Edinburgh and Newcastle University. Their findings, published in the journal Lancet Rheumatology, could make it easier in the medium term to develop drugs to fight this chronic condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-interferon-alpha-sjgren-disease-patients.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:40:08 EDT news703760456 Melatonin is best known for helping us sleep. But a new study suggests it might have another surprising use: easing muscle and joint pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-melatonin-ease-chronic-muscle-joint.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703422721 For patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), bimekizumab, a dual interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F inhibitor, is well tolerated over three years, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Rheumatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-bimekizumab-tolerated-efficacious-years-axial.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:40:07 EDT news702823753 New preliminary clinical data presented at ISSCR 2026 evaluated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived CAR T-cell therapy for patients with treatment-resistant systemic sclerosis, a rare autoimmune disease with high mortality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-highlight-shelf-ipsc-derived-car.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:30:04 EDT news702720913 Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have longer persistence with upadacitinib than tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), according to a study published online June 23 in Rheumatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-longer-persistence-upadacitinib-tumor-necrosis.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:20:07 EDT news702563364 A new international expert consensus statement published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine provides guidance for doctors on how to identify, monitor and treat a serious lung complication that affects many people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-expert-aim-lung-disease-people.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:00:01 EDT news702187441 Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) contribute significantly to the disability and health care burden in Europe, but until now there has been no harmonized, specific data set to help systematically compare differences in rheumatology workforces, health resources and access to care across nations. This is important because aspects of both individual and societal burdens may be preventable with early diagnosis and prompt care. RheumaFacts aims to change that by bringing together results from 36 countries to establish a new benchmark. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-framework-advocate-quality-life-people.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news702129242 Scientists at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, have found a link between a bacterium in the gut microbiome (ecosystem) and lupus that could lead to more effective treatment of the disease, described in a study published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-potential-probiotic-treatment-lupus.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:00:03 EDT news701626442 Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without lupus nephritis (LN) have increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality, according to a study published June 16 in Rheumatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-patients-lupus-chronic-kidney-disease.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:40:04 EDT news701611795 In autoimmune disorders, immune cells targeting "self" proteins are mistakenly activated, resulting in abnormal expansion and responsiveness. These disorders are known to reduce patients' quality of life over a prolonged period. This can be attributed to CD4+ T cells, which play a key role in inducing persistent inflammation, recruiting other immune cells, including antibody-producing B cells, and inflicting tissue damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immune-cellfibroblast-crosstalk-key-trigger.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:40:02 EDT news701536083 Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified a specialized population of immune cells that plays a central role in driving abnormal tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering new insight into disease progression and potential treatment strategies. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, reveals that a subset of immune cells known as SPP1ʰⁱ macrophages works in tandem with structural cells and protein scaffolds to promote excessive tissue expansion in the joints of patients with RA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-mechanism-joint-tissue-growth.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:20:01 EDT news701531835 As an aging population experiences joint pain and inflammation at an all-time high, researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have published new findings suggesting continuous low-intensity ultrasound may help shift the body's immune response from prolonged inflammation toward tissue repair, a discovery that could eventually contribute to novel treatments for joint injuries and post-traumatic osteoarthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ultrasound-based-approach-inflammation-joint.html Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:20:01 EDT news701081161 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 Injections of platelet-rich plasma made from a patient's own blood are increasingly used to treat knee osteoarthritis, but their use is not widely accepted, and the treatment does not work for everyone. Investigators from Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University have taken the first steps toward predicting which patients will benefit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-biological-content-blood-derived-treatment.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 08:00:04 EDT news700726022 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 new review published in Calcified Tissue International highlights major advances in understanding and preventing bone loss in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), showing that modern antirheumatic therapies can significantly reduce local and generalized bone loss in RA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-modern-rheumatoid-arthritis-treatments-bone.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:10:06 EDT news700328882 A new review from the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Osteoimmunology Working Group, published in Osteoporosis International, provides a comprehensive evaluation of the role of vitamin D in inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The authors conclude that while vitamin D deficiency is common and clinically important, current evidence does not support a direct disease-modifying effect. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-vitamin-d-inflammatory-rheumatic-diseases.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:20:01 EDT news700143880 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