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EULAR scientific program highlights spectrum of translational research
EULAR 2018’s scientific program in Amsterdam is packed with lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, workshops, and special interest sessions covering the full spectrum of rheumatic diseases, said Dr. Robert Landewé, chair of the Scientific Program Committee.
“More than 5,000 scientific abstracts were submitted, which is an absolute, all-time record,” Dr. Landewé said. Four experts scored each abstract, and only the top 7% were invited for oral presentation during abstract sessions or symposia, he explained in an interview.
Wednesday, June 13
A high point of the 2018 scientific program is Wednesday’s opening plenary session, which will feature abstracts that were handpicked by Dr. Landewé and Dr. Thomas Dörner, professor of rheumatology at Charite Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. “This session includes highly scored abstracts, including late-breakers, on current advances in therapeutics and disease classification,” said Dr. Dörner, who chaired this year’s Abstract Selection Committee.
The plenary abstract session will cover new findings on gout and cardiovascular disease from CANTOS (Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study), long-term mortality in patients with early RA from the COBRA (Combinatietherapie Bij Reumatoide Artritis) study, the use of zoledronic acid to treat knee osteoarthritis with bone lesions, and the relationship between bisphosphonate drug holidays and hip fracture risk. Researchers also will discuss baricitinib in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the value of MRI when treating remitted RA to target, the validation of SLE classification criteria, and draft classification criteria for ANCA-associated vasculitides.
A notable clinical science session on Wednesday will cover cancer and inflammation, Dr. Landewé said. “This is a topic of increasing interest because cancer and inflammation share mutual pathways.”
Novel cancer therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes across a range of tumor types, but also can induce rheumatic disease, he added. Accordingly, presenters will discuss inflammation as “friend” versus “foe” in cancer treatment, the role of tumor necrosis factor in cancer, and risk of malignancy among patients with RA.
Also on Wednesday, a session will tackle the relationship between psychological distress and pain in immune-mediated disease. “Pain is the major symptom of rheumatic diseases, and the role of the psyche remains poorly understood,” Dr. Landewé said. “But we know one thing for sure: There is an association, and speakers from outside the field of rheumatology will help explain.”
Attendees at this bench-to-bedside session will learn how distress appears to exacerbate arthritis pain and how managing psychological stress can help optimize outcomes in arthritis pain. Experts also will describe research on integrated brain pathways in pain and distress, as well as risk factors for cognitive impairment in RA.
Thursday, June 14
Topics in this session will include the use of estrogens and other hormonal therapies in patients with rheumatic disease, registry studies of rheumatologic conditions during pregnancy, and how clinicians can best discuss sexual concerns with their rheumatology patients.
Another clinical science session scheduled for Thursday afternoon will delve into structural damage progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, Dr. Landewé said. “Can we inhibit this structural progression? Can we show it? Does it make sense? And which drug company will win the battle to have the precedent?”
He hopes that Dr. Désirée van der Heijde of the Netherlands and Dr. Xenofon Baraliakos of Germany will help answer these questions when they discuss the latest evidence on identifying and treating clinically relevant structural progression. Also in this session, researchers will describe the combined effects of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and NSAIDs on radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis, and MRI evidence supporting treating early axial spondyloarthritis to target with the goal of achieving sustained remission of inflammation.
Also on Thursday afternoon, a case-based session will take a deep dive into giant cell arteritis (GCA), Dr. Landewé noted. Attendees will learn about diagnosing and managing vision loss and stroke and the latest on corticosteroid therapy in GCA. The session also will cover biologics. “Giant cell arteritis has entered the field of biologicals!” said Dr. Landewé. “This has major implications for this disease and the clinical choices to be made.”
The past 5 decades have seen marked progress in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE, with corresponding improvements in survival and quality of life. “Still, lupus is awfully difficult,” Dr. Landewé said. “Therefore, we have planned a classical bench-to-bedside symposium to provide an all-inclusive look at current thinking and future developments.”
Talks during this Thursday afternoon session will cover the latest findings on the pathogenesis of SLE, the clinical significance of autoantibodies, distinguishing early SLE from mimics, and the role of blood-brain barrier permeability and neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE and progressive systemic sclerosis.
Friday, June 15
For the first time, the scientific program also will include a clinical science session held jointly with the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). Dr. Joachim Sieper of Germany and ESSR President Dr. Monique Reijnierse of the Netherlands will cochair the Friday afternoon session on the role of MRI in rheumatology. Attendees from both organizations will learn when to use MRI in early and established RA and spondyloarthritis, and how to interpret the results, with abundant time built in for questions and answers. Dr. Landewé called the joint session “a test case” for exciting web-based interactions between EULAR and ESSR.
Another clinical science session on Friday afternoon will dive into the diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, which Dr. Landewé called “a matter of recognizing patterns, not ticking boxes on a list of criteria. This symposium leads you through the art of pattern recognition.”
Later on Friday afternoon, a session will explore advances in biologic therapy of small-vessel vasculitis, he added. “Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [bDMARDs] are becoming more and more important in this area of expanding interest.” Experts will address complement inhibition in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the use of induction and maintenance rituximab in AAV, the evolving role of mepolizumab in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, survival in AAV, and the use of rituximab for treating children with granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.
Saturday, June 16
On Saturday, a bench-to-bedside session will cover gout and kidney function. “This is an area with important new insights,” Dr. Dörner said. Presenters will discuss the genetics of hyperuricemia, renal urate transporters, and the pros and cons of using xanthine oxidase inhibitors to treat chronic kidney disease. Researchers will also cover studies of impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in patients with chronic kidney disease and hyperuricemia, and the relationship between renal medullar hyperechogenicity and gout severity.
Also on Saturday, a clinical science session titled, “Rheumatoid arthritis: Is it all in your head?” will explore emerging data on the relationship between inflammation and depression. Patients with RA often face both clinical depression and social isolation, and these complex psychosocial conditions can worsen one another. “In addition to proper drug choice, treating RA effectively depends on how concomitant problems, such as nonspecific pain, depression, and social isolation, are coped with in a broad context,” Dr. Landewé said. “When it comes to optimal management, rheumatologists need to communicate and prescribe, not just prescribe.”
Christian Apfelbacher, PhD, of Germany will discuss prevention and treatment strategies and Dr. Jonathan Cavanagh of the United Kingdom will cover neuroimaging in RA. Researchers also will discuss new findings on pain, depression, and anxiety in patients recently diagnosed with RA.
Also on Saturday, a special session will cover EULAR’s initiatives to improve clinical approaches (ESSCA), Dr. Dörner noted. This effort has produced new or updated recommendations on topics such as vaccination, Sjögren’s syndrome, glucocorticoid therapy, and management of hand osteoarthritis, he said. “These recommendations follow a number of others and are expected to impact clinical science as well as clinical practice.”
EULAR 2018’s scientific program in Amsterdam is packed with lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, workshops, and special interest sessions covering the full spectrum of rheumatic diseases, said Dr. Robert Landewé, chair of the Scientific Program Committee.
“More than 5,000 scientific abstracts were submitted, which is an absolute, all-time record,” Dr. Landewé said. Four experts scored each abstract, and only the top 7% were invited for oral presentation during abstract sessions or symposia, he explained in an interview.
Wednesday, June 13
A high point of the 2018 scientific program is Wednesday’s opening plenary session, which will feature abstracts that were handpicked by Dr. Landewé and Dr. Thomas Dörner, professor of rheumatology at Charite Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. “This session includes highly scored abstracts, including late-breakers, on current advances in therapeutics and disease classification,” said Dr. Dörner, who chaired this year’s Abstract Selection Committee.
The plenary abstract session will cover new findings on gout and cardiovascular disease from CANTOS (Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study), long-term mortality in patients with early RA from the COBRA (Combinatietherapie Bij Reumatoide Artritis) study, the use of zoledronic acid to treat knee osteoarthritis with bone lesions, and the relationship between bisphosphonate drug holidays and hip fracture risk. Researchers also will discuss baricitinib in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the value of MRI when treating remitted RA to target, the validation of SLE classification criteria, and draft classification criteria for ANCA-associated vasculitides.
A notable clinical science session on Wednesday will cover cancer and inflammation, Dr. Landewé said. “This is a topic of increasing interest because cancer and inflammation share mutual pathways.”
Novel cancer therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes across a range of tumor types, but also can induce rheumatic disease, he added. Accordingly, presenters will discuss inflammation as “friend” versus “foe” in cancer treatment, the role of tumor necrosis factor in cancer, and risk of malignancy among patients with RA.
Also on Wednesday, a session will tackle the relationship between psychological distress and pain in immune-mediated disease. “Pain is the major symptom of rheumatic diseases, and the role of the psyche remains poorly understood,” Dr. Landewé said. “But we know one thing for sure: There is an association, and speakers from outside the field of rheumatology will help explain.”
Attendees at this bench-to-bedside session will learn how distress appears to exacerbate arthritis pain and how managing psychological stress can help optimize outcomes in arthritis pain. Experts also will describe research on integrated brain pathways in pain and distress, as well as risk factors for cognitive impairment in RA.
Thursday, June 14
Topics in this session will include the use of estrogens and other hormonal therapies in patients with rheumatic disease, registry studies of rheumatologic conditions during pregnancy, and how clinicians can best discuss sexual concerns with their rheumatology patients.
Another clinical science session scheduled for Thursday afternoon will delve into structural damage progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, Dr. Landewé said. “Can we inhibit this structural progression? Can we show it? Does it make sense? And which drug company will win the battle to have the precedent?”
He hopes that Dr. Désirée van der Heijde of the Netherlands and Dr. Xenofon Baraliakos of Germany will help answer these questions when they discuss the latest evidence on identifying and treating clinically relevant structural progression. Also in this session, researchers will describe the combined effects of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and NSAIDs on radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis, and MRI evidence supporting treating early axial spondyloarthritis to target with the goal of achieving sustained remission of inflammation.
Also on Thursday afternoon, a case-based session will take a deep dive into giant cell arteritis (GCA), Dr. Landewé noted. Attendees will learn about diagnosing and managing vision loss and stroke and the latest on corticosteroid therapy in GCA. The session also will cover biologics. “Giant cell arteritis has entered the field of biologicals!” said Dr. Landewé. “This has major implications for this disease and the clinical choices to be made.”
The past 5 decades have seen marked progress in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE, with corresponding improvements in survival and quality of life. “Still, lupus is awfully difficult,” Dr. Landewé said. “Therefore, we have planned a classical bench-to-bedside symposium to provide an all-inclusive look at current thinking and future developments.”
Talks during this Thursday afternoon session will cover the latest findings on the pathogenesis of SLE, the clinical significance of autoantibodies, distinguishing early SLE from mimics, and the role of blood-brain barrier permeability and neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE and progressive systemic sclerosis.
Friday, June 15
For the first time, the scientific program also will include a clinical science session held jointly with the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). Dr. Joachim Sieper of Germany and ESSR President Dr. Monique Reijnierse of the Netherlands will cochair the Friday afternoon session on the role of MRI in rheumatology. Attendees from both organizations will learn when to use MRI in early and established RA and spondyloarthritis, and how to interpret the results, with abundant time built in for questions and answers. Dr. Landewé called the joint session “a test case” for exciting web-based interactions between EULAR and ESSR.
Another clinical science session on Friday afternoon will dive into the diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, which Dr. Landewé called “a matter of recognizing patterns, not ticking boxes on a list of criteria. This symposium leads you through the art of pattern recognition.”
Later on Friday afternoon, a session will explore advances in biologic therapy of small-vessel vasculitis, he added. “Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [bDMARDs] are becoming more and more important in this area of expanding interest.” Experts will address complement inhibition in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the use of induction and maintenance rituximab in AAV, the evolving role of mepolizumab in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, survival in AAV, and the use of rituximab for treating children with granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.
Saturday, June 16
On Saturday, a bench-to-bedside session will cover gout and kidney function. “This is an area with important new insights,” Dr. Dörner said. Presenters will discuss the genetics of hyperuricemia, renal urate transporters, and the pros and cons of using xanthine oxidase inhibitors to treat chronic kidney disease. Researchers will also cover studies of impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in patients with chronic kidney disease and hyperuricemia, and the relationship between renal medullar hyperechogenicity and gout severity.
Also on Saturday, a clinical science session titled, “Rheumatoid arthritis: Is it all in your head?” will explore emerging data on the relationship between inflammation and depression. Patients with RA often face both clinical depression and social isolation, and these complex psychosocial conditions can worsen one another. “In addition to proper drug choice, treating RA effectively depends on how concomitant problems, such as nonspecific pain, depression, and social isolation, are coped with in a broad context,” Dr. Landewé said. “When it comes to optimal management, rheumatologists need to communicate and prescribe, not just prescribe.”
Christian Apfelbacher, PhD, of Germany will discuss prevention and treatment strategies and Dr. Jonathan Cavanagh of the United Kingdom will cover neuroimaging in RA. Researchers also will discuss new findings on pain, depression, and anxiety in patients recently diagnosed with RA.
Also on Saturday, a special session will cover EULAR’s initiatives to improve clinical approaches (ESSCA), Dr. Dörner noted. This effort has produced new or updated recommendations on topics such as vaccination, Sjögren’s syndrome, glucocorticoid therapy, and management of hand osteoarthritis, he said. “These recommendations follow a number of others and are expected to impact clinical science as well as clinical practice.”
EULAR 2018’s scientific program in Amsterdam is packed with lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, workshops, and special interest sessions covering the full spectrum of rheumatic diseases, said Dr. Robert Landewé, chair of the Scientific Program Committee.
“More than 5,000 scientific abstracts were submitted, which is an absolute, all-time record,” Dr. Landewé said. Four experts scored each abstract, and only the top 7% were invited for oral presentation during abstract sessions or symposia, he explained in an interview.
Wednesday, June 13
A high point of the 2018 scientific program is Wednesday’s opening plenary session, which will feature abstracts that were handpicked by Dr. Landewé and Dr. Thomas Dörner, professor of rheumatology at Charite Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. “This session includes highly scored abstracts, including late-breakers, on current advances in therapeutics and disease classification,” said Dr. Dörner, who chaired this year’s Abstract Selection Committee.
The plenary abstract session will cover new findings on gout and cardiovascular disease from CANTOS (Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study), long-term mortality in patients with early RA from the COBRA (Combinatietherapie Bij Reumatoide Artritis) study, the use of zoledronic acid to treat knee osteoarthritis with bone lesions, and the relationship between bisphosphonate drug holidays and hip fracture risk. Researchers also will discuss baricitinib in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the value of MRI when treating remitted RA to target, the validation of SLE classification criteria, and draft classification criteria for ANCA-associated vasculitides.
A notable clinical science session on Wednesday will cover cancer and inflammation, Dr. Landewé said. “This is a topic of increasing interest because cancer and inflammation share mutual pathways.”
Novel cancer therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes across a range of tumor types, but also can induce rheumatic disease, he added. Accordingly, presenters will discuss inflammation as “friend” versus “foe” in cancer treatment, the role of tumor necrosis factor in cancer, and risk of malignancy among patients with RA.
Also on Wednesday, a session will tackle the relationship between psychological distress and pain in immune-mediated disease. “Pain is the major symptom of rheumatic diseases, and the role of the psyche remains poorly understood,” Dr. Landewé said. “But we know one thing for sure: There is an association, and speakers from outside the field of rheumatology will help explain.”
Attendees at this bench-to-bedside session will learn how distress appears to exacerbate arthritis pain and how managing psychological stress can help optimize outcomes in arthritis pain. Experts also will describe research on integrated brain pathways in pain and distress, as well as risk factors for cognitive impairment in RA.
Thursday, June 14
Topics in this session will include the use of estrogens and other hormonal therapies in patients with rheumatic disease, registry studies of rheumatologic conditions during pregnancy, and how clinicians can best discuss sexual concerns with their rheumatology patients.
Another clinical science session scheduled for Thursday afternoon will delve into structural damage progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, Dr. Landewé said. “Can we inhibit this structural progression? Can we show it? Does it make sense? And which drug company will win the battle to have the precedent?”
He hopes that Dr. Désirée van der Heijde of the Netherlands and Dr. Xenofon Baraliakos of Germany will help answer these questions when they discuss the latest evidence on identifying and treating clinically relevant structural progression. Also in this session, researchers will describe the combined effects of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and NSAIDs on radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis, and MRI evidence supporting treating early axial spondyloarthritis to target with the goal of achieving sustained remission of inflammation.
Also on Thursday afternoon, a case-based session will take a deep dive into giant cell arteritis (GCA), Dr. Landewé noted. Attendees will learn about diagnosing and managing vision loss and stroke and the latest on corticosteroid therapy in GCA. The session also will cover biologics. “Giant cell arteritis has entered the field of biologicals!” said Dr. Landewé. “This has major implications for this disease and the clinical choices to be made.”
The past 5 decades have seen marked progress in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE, with corresponding improvements in survival and quality of life. “Still, lupus is awfully difficult,” Dr. Landewé said. “Therefore, we have planned a classical bench-to-bedside symposium to provide an all-inclusive look at current thinking and future developments.”
Talks during this Thursday afternoon session will cover the latest findings on the pathogenesis of SLE, the clinical significance of autoantibodies, distinguishing early SLE from mimics, and the role of blood-brain barrier permeability and neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE and progressive systemic sclerosis.
Friday, June 15
For the first time, the scientific program also will include a clinical science session held jointly with the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). Dr. Joachim Sieper of Germany and ESSR President Dr. Monique Reijnierse of the Netherlands will cochair the Friday afternoon session on the role of MRI in rheumatology. Attendees from both organizations will learn when to use MRI in early and established RA and spondyloarthritis, and how to interpret the results, with abundant time built in for questions and answers. Dr. Landewé called the joint session “a test case” for exciting web-based interactions between EULAR and ESSR.
Another clinical science session on Friday afternoon will dive into the diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, which Dr. Landewé called “a matter of recognizing patterns, not ticking boxes on a list of criteria. This symposium leads you through the art of pattern recognition.”
Later on Friday afternoon, a session will explore advances in biologic therapy of small-vessel vasculitis, he added. “Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [bDMARDs] are becoming more and more important in this area of expanding interest.” Experts will address complement inhibition in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the use of induction and maintenance rituximab in AAV, the evolving role of mepolizumab in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, survival in AAV, and the use of rituximab for treating children with granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.
Saturday, June 16
On Saturday, a bench-to-bedside session will cover gout and kidney function. “This is an area with important new insights,” Dr. Dörner said. Presenters will discuss the genetics of hyperuricemia, renal urate transporters, and the pros and cons of using xanthine oxidase inhibitors to treat chronic kidney disease. Researchers will also cover studies of impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in patients with chronic kidney disease and hyperuricemia, and the relationship between renal medullar hyperechogenicity and gout severity.
Also on Saturday, a clinical science session titled, “Rheumatoid arthritis: Is it all in your head?” will explore emerging data on the relationship between inflammation and depression. Patients with RA often face both clinical depression and social isolation, and these complex psychosocial conditions can worsen one another. “In addition to proper drug choice, treating RA effectively depends on how concomitant problems, such as nonspecific pain, depression, and social isolation, are coped with in a broad context,” Dr. Landewé said. “When it comes to optimal management, rheumatologists need to communicate and prescribe, not just prescribe.”
Christian Apfelbacher, PhD, of Germany will discuss prevention and treatment strategies and Dr. Jonathan Cavanagh of the United Kingdom will cover neuroimaging in RA. Researchers also will discuss new findings on pain, depression, and anxiety in patients recently diagnosed with RA.
Also on Saturday, a special session will cover EULAR’s initiatives to improve clinical approaches (ESSCA), Dr. Dörner noted. This effort has produced new or updated recommendations on topics such as vaccination, Sjögren’s syndrome, glucocorticoid therapy, and management of hand osteoarthritis, he said. “These recommendations follow a number of others and are expected to impact clinical science as well as clinical practice.”
EULAR pediatric sessions to highlight big data, personalized medicine
Personalized medicine, big data, and monogenic inflammatory diseases are just a few of the high points of pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Berent J. Prakken, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on Wednesday afternoon would highlight how EULAR projects are driving advances in pediatric rheumatology.
Attendees will learn from Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in personalized medicine, about how digital tools can facilitate cross-border partnerships in pediatric rheumatology, Dr. Prakken said in an interview.
“This talk will be groundbreaking because it’s not just about another useful app,” said Dr. Prakken, professor of pediatric rheumatology and vice dean of education at University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands). “Dr. Seyfert-Margolis will show how the digital revolution will change the way we communicate with patients, monitor disease, and develop novel models for clinical trials.”
The session will also cover work by the Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN), created to facilitate international translational research in pediatric rheumatology. Speakers will describe how UCAN is helping to spur personalized medicine and working with the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) to align bench and bedside perspectives.
Another program highlight is a Thursday afternoon session on connections between monogenic autoinflammatory and pediatric rheumatic diseases. “Groundbreaking studies of these rare genetic inflammatory diseases have provided important new insights that, in turn, have led to new therapeutic options,” said Dr. Prakken.
During the session, Joost Swart, MD, of Utrecht, the Netherlands, will discuss promising research on the intravenous use of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from bone marrow for the treatment of refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Dr. Swart, who helped pioneer the approach, will discuss the first phase I/II trial of its use in children. “This is a truly innovative way to handle refractory inflammation,” Dr. Prakken said.
The session on monogenic autoinflammatory diseases also will cover their clinical presentation in children and adults, their pathogenesis as compared with adult-onset rheumatic diseases, and emerging treatment options, according to Dr. Prakken.
On Friday afternoon, a pediatric session will feature big data science in pediatric rheumatology, a lightning-paced field that is generating new research and treatment paradigms.
Of special note, Salvatore Albani, MD, PhD, will discuss how the human immunome is revolutionizing personalized treatment of paediatric inflammatory diseases, Dr. Prakken said. “This is the first application of big data to develop a completely new, personalized map of the human immune system,” he added. “This technology has the potential to revolutionize human clinical immunology, and it may be the key to true precision medicine in inflammatory diseases.”
Other talks in the session will cover signaling pathways in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), galectin-9 as a biomarker in juvenile dermatomyositis, and evidence from the phase 3 PRINTO trial on how best to taper corticosteroids in patients with new-onset juvenile dermatomyositis.
Another crucial topic in pediatric rheumatology is systemic hyperinflammation, a potentially life-threatening situation requiring rapid detection and treatment.
A Saturday morning session will dive deeply into this topic. First, Sebastiaan Vastert, MD, PhD, will share a birds-eye view of systemic inflammation in JIA, setting the stage for a discussion by Angelo Ravelli, MD, of challenges in diagnosing macrophage activation syndrome, which disproportionately affects JIA patients.
Also during the session, Fabrizio de Benedetti, MD, PhD, will review new findings on the pathogenesis of hyperinflammation and how they can guide therapeutic development. Rounding off the session, Rebecca Davies will present research on first-onset uveitis in patients receiving etanercept or methotrexate to treat JIA. “Attendees will learn new insights about diagnosing and treating systemic inflammation in children,” Dr. Prakken said.
Once the dust has settled on the EULAR Congress in Amsterdam, delegates can look forward to the 2019 EULAR Congress in Madrid, which will be held jointly with the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society, further integrating the fields of pediatric and adult rheumatology.
Personalized medicine, big data, and monogenic inflammatory diseases are just a few of the high points of pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Berent J. Prakken, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on Wednesday afternoon would highlight how EULAR projects are driving advances in pediatric rheumatology.
Attendees will learn from Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in personalized medicine, about how digital tools can facilitate cross-border partnerships in pediatric rheumatology, Dr. Prakken said in an interview.
“This talk will be groundbreaking because it’s not just about another useful app,” said Dr. Prakken, professor of pediatric rheumatology and vice dean of education at University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands). “Dr. Seyfert-Margolis will show how the digital revolution will change the way we communicate with patients, monitor disease, and develop novel models for clinical trials.”
The session will also cover work by the Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN), created to facilitate international translational research in pediatric rheumatology. Speakers will describe how UCAN is helping to spur personalized medicine and working with the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) to align bench and bedside perspectives.
Another program highlight is a Thursday afternoon session on connections between monogenic autoinflammatory and pediatric rheumatic diseases. “Groundbreaking studies of these rare genetic inflammatory diseases have provided important new insights that, in turn, have led to new therapeutic options,” said Dr. Prakken.
During the session, Joost Swart, MD, of Utrecht, the Netherlands, will discuss promising research on the intravenous use of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from bone marrow for the treatment of refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Dr. Swart, who helped pioneer the approach, will discuss the first phase I/II trial of its use in children. “This is a truly innovative way to handle refractory inflammation,” Dr. Prakken said.
The session on monogenic autoinflammatory diseases also will cover their clinical presentation in children and adults, their pathogenesis as compared with adult-onset rheumatic diseases, and emerging treatment options, according to Dr. Prakken.
On Friday afternoon, a pediatric session will feature big data science in pediatric rheumatology, a lightning-paced field that is generating new research and treatment paradigms.
Of special note, Salvatore Albani, MD, PhD, will discuss how the human immunome is revolutionizing personalized treatment of paediatric inflammatory diseases, Dr. Prakken said. “This is the first application of big data to develop a completely new, personalized map of the human immune system,” he added. “This technology has the potential to revolutionize human clinical immunology, and it may be the key to true precision medicine in inflammatory diseases.”
Other talks in the session will cover signaling pathways in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), galectin-9 as a biomarker in juvenile dermatomyositis, and evidence from the phase 3 PRINTO trial on how best to taper corticosteroids in patients with new-onset juvenile dermatomyositis.
Another crucial topic in pediatric rheumatology is systemic hyperinflammation, a potentially life-threatening situation requiring rapid detection and treatment.
A Saturday morning session will dive deeply into this topic. First, Sebastiaan Vastert, MD, PhD, will share a birds-eye view of systemic inflammation in JIA, setting the stage for a discussion by Angelo Ravelli, MD, of challenges in diagnosing macrophage activation syndrome, which disproportionately affects JIA patients.
Also during the session, Fabrizio de Benedetti, MD, PhD, will review new findings on the pathogenesis of hyperinflammation and how they can guide therapeutic development. Rounding off the session, Rebecca Davies will present research on first-onset uveitis in patients receiving etanercept or methotrexate to treat JIA. “Attendees will learn new insights about diagnosing and treating systemic inflammation in children,” Dr. Prakken said.
Once the dust has settled on the EULAR Congress in Amsterdam, delegates can look forward to the 2019 EULAR Congress in Madrid, which will be held jointly with the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society, further integrating the fields of pediatric and adult rheumatology.
Personalized medicine, big data, and monogenic inflammatory diseases are just a few of the high points of pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Berent J. Prakken, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on Wednesday afternoon would highlight how EULAR projects are driving advances in pediatric rheumatology.
Attendees will learn from Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in personalized medicine, about how digital tools can facilitate cross-border partnerships in pediatric rheumatology, Dr. Prakken said in an interview.
“This talk will be groundbreaking because it’s not just about another useful app,” said Dr. Prakken, professor of pediatric rheumatology and vice dean of education at University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands). “Dr. Seyfert-Margolis will show how the digital revolution will change the way we communicate with patients, monitor disease, and develop novel models for clinical trials.”
The session will also cover work by the Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN), created to facilitate international translational research in pediatric rheumatology. Speakers will describe how UCAN is helping to spur personalized medicine and working with the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) to align bench and bedside perspectives.
Another program highlight is a Thursday afternoon session on connections between monogenic autoinflammatory and pediatric rheumatic diseases. “Groundbreaking studies of these rare genetic inflammatory diseases have provided important new insights that, in turn, have led to new therapeutic options,” said Dr. Prakken.
During the session, Joost Swart, MD, of Utrecht, the Netherlands, will discuss promising research on the intravenous use of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from bone marrow for the treatment of refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Dr. Swart, who helped pioneer the approach, will discuss the first phase I/II trial of its use in children. “This is a truly innovative way to handle refractory inflammation,” Dr. Prakken said.
The session on monogenic autoinflammatory diseases also will cover their clinical presentation in children and adults, their pathogenesis as compared with adult-onset rheumatic diseases, and emerging treatment options, according to Dr. Prakken.
On Friday afternoon, a pediatric session will feature big data science in pediatric rheumatology, a lightning-paced field that is generating new research and treatment paradigms.
Of special note, Salvatore Albani, MD, PhD, will discuss how the human immunome is revolutionizing personalized treatment of paediatric inflammatory diseases, Dr. Prakken said. “This is the first application of big data to develop a completely new, personalized map of the human immune system,” he added. “This technology has the potential to revolutionize human clinical immunology, and it may be the key to true precision medicine in inflammatory diseases.”
Other talks in the session will cover signaling pathways in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), galectin-9 as a biomarker in juvenile dermatomyositis, and evidence from the phase 3 PRINTO trial on how best to taper corticosteroids in patients with new-onset juvenile dermatomyositis.
Another crucial topic in pediatric rheumatology is systemic hyperinflammation, a potentially life-threatening situation requiring rapid detection and treatment.
A Saturday morning session will dive deeply into this topic. First, Sebastiaan Vastert, MD, PhD, will share a birds-eye view of systemic inflammation in JIA, setting the stage for a discussion by Angelo Ravelli, MD, of challenges in diagnosing macrophage activation syndrome, which disproportionately affects JIA patients.
Also during the session, Fabrizio de Benedetti, MD, PhD, will review new findings on the pathogenesis of hyperinflammation and how they can guide therapeutic development. Rounding off the session, Rebecca Davies will present research on first-onset uveitis in patients receiving etanercept or methotrexate to treat JIA. “Attendees will learn new insights about diagnosing and treating systemic inflammation in children,” Dr. Prakken said.
Once the dust has settled on the EULAR Congress in Amsterdam, delegates can look forward to the 2019 EULAR Congress in Madrid, which will be held jointly with the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society, further integrating the fields of pediatric and adult rheumatology.
EMEUNET network of young rheumatologists keeps moving forward
As the largest network of young rheumatologists in the world, the Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET) is looking forward to this year’s European Congress of Rheumatology to continue to build on what it set out to do as part of its mission – to give young rheumatologists and researchers an active say in education and research.
The rationale for the birth of EMEUNET in 2009 was to provide a network where European young rheumatologists and researchers, no matter where they were based, could access mentoring programs, research funding, and education initiatives, Alessia Alunno, MD, PhD, chair-elect and EMEUNET steering committee member, said in an interview.
Since its creation, EMEUNET has already achieved its goal several times over, but there’s certainly no intention for the network to rest on its laurels. One of its major achievements has been to secure a voice in the EULAR Strategy for the next 5 years.
“We are now able to sit at the table with the other EULAR pillars so that the educational offering of EULAR is tailored to meet the needs of young rheumatologists and researchers across Europe,” Dr. Alunno said.
And if the success of an organization can be measured by its membership numbers, then it’s clear that EMEUNET is on the right track.
Each year, membership continues to grow, and at 1,909 members, the 2,000 member milestone is tantalizingly close. This makes EMEUNET the largest network of rheumatologists and researchers, which Dr. Alunno said made the steering committee proud because it is a sign that what EMEUNET offers to members is suitable for more and more people.
So what is it that EULAR congress attendees can look forward to, apart from a bike tour around the canals of Amsterdam and an abundance of museums to visit?
“As always, we aim to foster collaboration, encourage educational activities and participation in them, to grow our network and increase our reach,” she said in an interview.
“It’s really an opportunity to attract as many young people as possible through our many educational initiatives, not just during the actual congress but also all year long.”
One of the congress highlights that’s been running successfully for a few years is the EMEUNET mentor/mentee meetings where young and upcoming clinicians and academics are given the opportunity to meet with a mentor, discuss their careers, and get some advice and coaching.
EMEUNET also will be bringing some crowd-pleasing initiatives to Amsterdam, such as its popular networking event that attracted more than 70 attendees in Madrid last year.
“We are very proud of our networking event. Opportunities for us to meet all together are very few, so we have the opportunity at EULAR to provide a platform where people can get together and create their own contacts that can be helpful in their everyday life,” Dr. Alunno said.
The networking event usually involves a relaxed local sightseeing tour followed by a chance to talk, network, and strengthen bonds.
The EULAR/EMEUNET ambassador program is also an important and popular initiative that has received positive feedback from past congress attendees. The program is set up to help first-time attendees who may need some support to get the most out of what can be an overwhelming scientific program.
Fellows are invited to apply for the program (for more information visit www.emeunet.eular.org) and successful applicants will receive congress mentorship from EMEUNET EULAR congress “veterans” on how to make the most of the 4 days.
It goes without saying that EMEUNET is also contributing to the congress’ scientific program.
EMEUNET also invites everyone to check out the Young Rheumatologists sessions in the scientific program, which will take place during the course of the congress.
These will include sessions on basic statistics; understanding the language of basic research, epidemiology, and health services articles; and conducting effective patient-physician communication in routine clinical settings.
“The Young Rheumatologist sessions may be a small grain in the large congress program, but they always gain a lot of interest,” Dr. Nikiphorou said.
As the largest network of young rheumatologists in the world, the Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET) is looking forward to this year’s European Congress of Rheumatology to continue to build on what it set out to do as part of its mission – to give young rheumatologists and researchers an active say in education and research.
The rationale for the birth of EMEUNET in 2009 was to provide a network where European young rheumatologists and researchers, no matter where they were based, could access mentoring programs, research funding, and education initiatives, Alessia Alunno, MD, PhD, chair-elect and EMEUNET steering committee member, said in an interview.
Since its creation, EMEUNET has already achieved its goal several times over, but there’s certainly no intention for the network to rest on its laurels. One of its major achievements has been to secure a voice in the EULAR Strategy for the next 5 years.
“We are now able to sit at the table with the other EULAR pillars so that the educational offering of EULAR is tailored to meet the needs of young rheumatologists and researchers across Europe,” Dr. Alunno said.
And if the success of an organization can be measured by its membership numbers, then it’s clear that EMEUNET is on the right track.
Each year, membership continues to grow, and at 1,909 members, the 2,000 member milestone is tantalizingly close. This makes EMEUNET the largest network of rheumatologists and researchers, which Dr. Alunno said made the steering committee proud because it is a sign that what EMEUNET offers to members is suitable for more and more people.
So what is it that EULAR congress attendees can look forward to, apart from a bike tour around the canals of Amsterdam and an abundance of museums to visit?
“As always, we aim to foster collaboration, encourage educational activities and participation in them, to grow our network and increase our reach,” she said in an interview.
“It’s really an opportunity to attract as many young people as possible through our many educational initiatives, not just during the actual congress but also all year long.”
One of the congress highlights that’s been running successfully for a few years is the EMEUNET mentor/mentee meetings where young and upcoming clinicians and academics are given the opportunity to meet with a mentor, discuss their careers, and get some advice and coaching.
EMEUNET also will be bringing some crowd-pleasing initiatives to Amsterdam, such as its popular networking event that attracted more than 70 attendees in Madrid last year.
“We are very proud of our networking event. Opportunities for us to meet all together are very few, so we have the opportunity at EULAR to provide a platform where people can get together and create their own contacts that can be helpful in their everyday life,” Dr. Alunno said.
The networking event usually involves a relaxed local sightseeing tour followed by a chance to talk, network, and strengthen bonds.
The EULAR/EMEUNET ambassador program is also an important and popular initiative that has received positive feedback from past congress attendees. The program is set up to help first-time attendees who may need some support to get the most out of what can be an overwhelming scientific program.
Fellows are invited to apply for the program (for more information visit www.emeunet.eular.org) and successful applicants will receive congress mentorship from EMEUNET EULAR congress “veterans” on how to make the most of the 4 days.
It goes without saying that EMEUNET is also contributing to the congress’ scientific program.
EMEUNET also invites everyone to check out the Young Rheumatologists sessions in the scientific program, which will take place during the course of the congress.
These will include sessions on basic statistics; understanding the language of basic research, epidemiology, and health services articles; and conducting effective patient-physician communication in routine clinical settings.
“The Young Rheumatologist sessions may be a small grain in the large congress program, but they always gain a lot of interest,” Dr. Nikiphorou said.
As the largest network of young rheumatologists in the world, the Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET) is looking forward to this year’s European Congress of Rheumatology to continue to build on what it set out to do as part of its mission – to give young rheumatologists and researchers an active say in education and research.
The rationale for the birth of EMEUNET in 2009 was to provide a network where European young rheumatologists and researchers, no matter where they were based, could access mentoring programs, research funding, and education initiatives, Alessia Alunno, MD, PhD, chair-elect and EMEUNET steering committee member, said in an interview.
Since its creation, EMEUNET has already achieved its goal several times over, but there’s certainly no intention for the network to rest on its laurels. One of its major achievements has been to secure a voice in the EULAR Strategy for the next 5 years.
“We are now able to sit at the table with the other EULAR pillars so that the educational offering of EULAR is tailored to meet the needs of young rheumatologists and researchers across Europe,” Dr. Alunno said.
And if the success of an organization can be measured by its membership numbers, then it’s clear that EMEUNET is on the right track.
Each year, membership continues to grow, and at 1,909 members, the 2,000 member milestone is tantalizingly close. This makes EMEUNET the largest network of rheumatologists and researchers, which Dr. Alunno said made the steering committee proud because it is a sign that what EMEUNET offers to members is suitable for more and more people.
So what is it that EULAR congress attendees can look forward to, apart from a bike tour around the canals of Amsterdam and an abundance of museums to visit?
“As always, we aim to foster collaboration, encourage educational activities and participation in them, to grow our network and increase our reach,” she said in an interview.
“It’s really an opportunity to attract as many young people as possible through our many educational initiatives, not just during the actual congress but also all year long.”
One of the congress highlights that’s been running successfully for a few years is the EMEUNET mentor/mentee meetings where young and upcoming clinicians and academics are given the opportunity to meet with a mentor, discuss their careers, and get some advice and coaching.
EMEUNET also will be bringing some crowd-pleasing initiatives to Amsterdam, such as its popular networking event that attracted more than 70 attendees in Madrid last year.
“We are very proud of our networking event. Opportunities for us to meet all together are very few, so we have the opportunity at EULAR to provide a platform where people can get together and create their own contacts that can be helpful in their everyday life,” Dr. Alunno said.
The networking event usually involves a relaxed local sightseeing tour followed by a chance to talk, network, and strengthen bonds.
The EULAR/EMEUNET ambassador program is also an important and popular initiative that has received positive feedback from past congress attendees. The program is set up to help first-time attendees who may need some support to get the most out of what can be an overwhelming scientific program.
Fellows are invited to apply for the program (for more information visit www.emeunet.eular.org) and successful applicants will receive congress mentorship from EMEUNET EULAR congress “veterans” on how to make the most of the 4 days.
It goes without saying that EMEUNET is also contributing to the congress’ scientific program.
EMEUNET also invites everyone to check out the Young Rheumatologists sessions in the scientific program, which will take place during the course of the congress.
These will include sessions on basic statistics; understanding the language of basic research, epidemiology, and health services articles; and conducting effective patient-physician communication in routine clinical settings.
“The Young Rheumatologist sessions may be a small grain in the large congress program, but they always gain a lot of interest,” Dr. Nikiphorou said.