Predictors of Response in Lupus
A systematic review suggests that traditional measures (serologies and disease activity) are superior to biomarkers in predicting response to biologics in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.
NEJM: Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A phase 3 trial of obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, showed potent B-cell depletion and clinical efficacy active systemic lupus erythematosus without evidence of nephritis.
https://t.co/OEuNAZlgzp https://t.co/F00L9uYEOv
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
NEJM: Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A phase 3 trial of obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, showed potent B-cell depletion and clinical efficacy active systemic lupus erythematosus without evidence of nephritis.
https://t.co/b5qHBotxbI https://t.co/dqzZodOokq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rheumatic Immune-related Adverse Effects with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
A retrospective study of patients who developed rheumatic immune-related adverse events (R-irAEs) after receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) at two oncology centers in Spain suggests that early recognition can lead to effective management that allows continuation of cancer therapy.
Read Article
b/ts-DMARDs Do Not Arrest Bone Loss in RA
In RA, the goal is to control or arrest inflammation such that articular and bony damage is halted. While we have many effective therapies, it is not clear that biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) can prevent or improve osteoporosis outcomes in RA. A
Read Article
The Role of Calcineurin Inhibitors in Lupus Nephritis
In the U.S, lupus nephritis affects approximately 40–50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), contributing significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the affected individuals (1). However, significant https://t.co/JBz0gQeJUr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com
Read Article
B cell Targeted CAR-T Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases
EurekAlert!
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a transformative approach in modern medicine, demonstrating remarkable efficacy in targeting pathogenic B-cell lineages with unprecedented specificity. Originally developed for B cell malignancies, this innovative immunotherapy
Read Article
Epidemiology of Dry Eye Autoimmune Disease
Dry eye rates upwards of 20% were seen across nine common autoimmune diseases other than Sjögren's, most often in rheumatoid arthritis (39.3%) with Crohn's disease bringing up the rear (23.0%), according to Chi-Chin Sun, MD, PhD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Keelung, Taiwan, and colleagues
Read Article
Early vs Delayed Belimumab in Lupus
An economic evaluation of early vs delayed use of the Blys inhibitor, belimumab (BEL), in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has shown both cost effectiveness and clinical utility of early BEL initiation in active lupus patients.
While most would advocate for using your best therapy
Read Article
Together PSO Trial - Combination Ixekizumab and Tirzepatide
Today Lilly announced top line results of the TOGETHER-PsO open-label, Phase 3b trial demonstrating the significant benefits of concomitant ixekizumab (IXE: an IL-17A inhibitor) and tirzepatide (TIR: GLP-1agonist) over IXE alone.
Read Article
Most inhibition of inflammation is via the brain. More GLP1 and GIP1 receptors are in the brain, more than the gut. @RWCSmtg #RWCS26 https://t.co/CNzUqteBLg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Air pollution ups ANA+: Ontariio Canadi study of 3548 serum samples (2010-13) corrlated particulate matter (PM2.5) w/ serologies. Highest vs lowest quartile PM2.5 showed higher risk of ANA ≥1:640 (OR 1.46) & ≥1:1280 (OR 1.54). Pollution has systemic immune effects! https://t.co/iyC68qh49R
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Can you Prevent SLE? Dr. David Karp lecturing at UTSW Showing that autoantibodies exist long before the onset of SLE @drdavidkarp @utswrheum https://t.co/zPAYbSlIBS
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ALTO: Long-Term Abatacept Outcomes in At-Risk RA
Lancet Rheumatology has published the ALTO results - long term outcomes of the APIPPRA trial, demonstrating that treatment with abatacept (ABA) in at risk patients can delay progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for up to 4 years.
Read Article
Air pollution ups ANA+: Ontariio Canadi study of 3548 serum samples (2010-13) corrlated particulate matter (PM2.5) w/ serologies. Highest vs lowest quartile PM2.5 showed higher risk of ANA ≥1:640 (OR 1.46) & ≥1:1280 (OR 1.54). Pollution has systemic immune effects! https://t.co/fJrhypNE2A
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Canada's 2025 Top 10 Funded Rheumatology Projects
Arthritis Society
Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) is Canada’s largest charitable funder of cutting-edge arthritis research, investing more than $240 million in research projects since its founding, and over $7 million invested in 2024-2025. Below are the investigators and projects that were funded in 2025.
Read Article
Full read review of the Mechanistic Effects of Methotrexate in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. https://t.co/PrMyZ7q3wX download here: https://t.co/aRnmRm770Z https://t.co/5B0mBjzOXQ
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology reviews the current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren disease (SjD) and how this understanding has informed drug development for this systemic autoimmune disorder. https://t.co/p3dn1Ca2ag
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Notch and TGFβ Signaling in Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis
EurekAlert!
Spatial transcriptomic profiling of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial biopsies (pre- and post-treatment) has revealed new insights into the pathobiology or treatment resistent RA.
The following transcript comes from an interview on this paper that appeared in Nature
Read Article
B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology reviews the current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren disease (SjD) and how this understanding has informed drug development for this systemic autoimmune disorder. https://t.co/zI7lQ5N54o
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology reviews current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren disease (SjD) and how that has influenced the quest for drug development for this most systemic autoimmune disorder.
Although several new agents have shown very
Read Article
ANAs and Autoantibodies
https://t.co/AANvCKeAl0 https://t.co/SSPUxMEuLh
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Emergencies, Independence & Hemorrhage (1.23.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past two weeks on RheumNow.Com
Read Article
ANAs and Autoantibodies
https://t.co/PTdXPMCqjP https://t.co/Pbtgaod3uW
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Recent Blogs
PMR might be one of the most rewarding diagnoses to make in real practice: the patient comes to you in severe debilitating pain, and you prescribe steroids, giving them their lives back! As much as this impressive response makes your intervention appear almost magical, there is the often-forgotten story about the implications of such a diagnosis and treatment on patients' daily lives.
Read Post
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease. The exact trigger for PMR onset remains unknown. However, immunology studies and clinical trials with biological DMARDs now shed light on the immune pathways involved in PMR.
Read Post
