Top in rheumatology: Alzheimer’s as an autoimmune disease; rheumatoid arthritis triggers
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Conceptualizing Alzheimer’s disease as an autoimmune disease of the brain rather than a brain disorder could change the way future treatments are developed, according to a recent paper published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
In an interview with Healio, author Donald F. Weaver MD, PhD, senior scientist with the Krembil Brain Institute and professor of chemistry, medicine and pharmaceutical science at the University of Toronto, discussed the long-standing theories of disease pathogenesis and how the findings from his paper could usher in a new way of thinking on Alzheimer’s disease. It was the top story in rheumatology last week.
Another top story was about the capacity for inhalable substances in the workplace to act as environmental triggers for rheumatoid arthritis.
Read these and more top stories in rheumatology below:
Alzheimer’s as an autoimmune disease: ‘We will need competence in the area of immunology’
What if Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological disorder that has confounded researchers since its identification in 1907, were not a brain disorder at all? What if it were instead an autoimmune disease that attacks the brain? Read more.
Inhalable agents in workplace ‘important’ triggers for rheumatoid arthritis
Inhalable substances associated with occupational settings may act as “important” environmental triggers for developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Read more.
Amgen’s acquisition of Horizon could have ‘downstream effects’ in rheumatology
The recent acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics by Amgen continues a trend in medical finance that may have implications for both rheumatologists and their patients. Read more.
FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to belimumab for systemic sclerosis
The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to belimumab, a B-cell inhibiting monoclonal antibody, for the potential treatment of systemic sclerosis, according to a press release from GlaxoSmithKline. Read more.
MRI-based grading may help determine which knees suitable for osteoarthritis treatment
Using MRIs to grade articular pathologies can help identify knees suitable for osteoarthritis trials, as well as those without cartilage damage for which treatment is not indicated, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research. Read more.