Gout Cavalcade (7.10.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory decisions from the past week. July is Gout: More than Flares month.
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RheumIQ: True or False: In an international consortium of RA patients, MACE risk was significantly associated with disease activity but not ACPA positivity.
Test your knowledge here: https://t.co/LATb1P18Sh https://t.co/Bs1ReJk0OY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CAR-T Therapy: EULAR 2026 Conference Recap
https://t.co/3CUp5MTN2Y https://t.co/agk5HNUSwg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Learn more about the fundamentals of CAR T-cell therapy and its investigational use in autoimmune disease.
Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb. https://t.co/VvTOYY3tvz
#CARTCellTherapy https://t.co/ESW8Z5BZSm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ARTIC trial enrolled 234 DMARD naive RA (<2yrs) pts; 15.4% (36) were seronegative (SNRA). @enrollment SNRA worse than SPRA(+) w/ higher SJC (17 vs 8, p<0.001), DAS28 (3.9 vs 3.4, p=0.03), US scores (55 vs 25, p<0.001), MD global (49 vs 39, p=0.006). No diff in Sharp score, https://t.co/xDxQKY8ZG2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Intl consortium (10 EU countries) of 3952 RA pts, 184 MACE events seen 1985-2012. MACE risk signif assoc w/ DAS28 (HR 1.18;1.03-1.35), but NOT RF (HR 1.26; 0.82 to 1.94) or ACPA (HR 1.25; 0.85 to 1.83). RA activity assoc w/ MACE seen in seronegative and double positive https://t.co/RGO5IAM5oL
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Congratulations to Dr. Chandra Mohan and Univ. of Houston for receiving a $4 million NIH grant for a 10-year longitudinal study to identify the earliest biological triggers of autoimmune disease https://t.co/6kMcv9PD5r https://t.co/CsY8QAxrXR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CAR-T Therapy: EULAR 2026 Conference Recap
https://t.co/XALrMFReOe https://t.co/TK0ot8MZb6
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RZV (Shingrix) response in 76 immunosuppressed SSc & 304 controls (CG) recv two RZV doses. High seroconversion seen in SSc but signif lower than CG (92.6% vs 99.7%, P 0.001), w/ lower concentration but comparable CMI, lower AE (74% vs 86%) https://t.co/ALlnVEZIAt https://t.co/kYYy2JIo2J
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
New research shows synovial lining enriched in macrophages expressing SPP1 (encoding osteopontin) in proximity to fibroblasts and fibrin deposits. SPP1+ macrophages degrade fibrin & promote fibroblast proliferation that deposit collagen & does the damage, joint remodeling. A new https://t.co/yFxwAYFPPb
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Gout is more than an episodic arthritis, it's a systemic inflammatory disease.
Watch Dr. Robert Terkeltaub discuss 3 New Things it Pays to Know About Gout Pathobiology, including emerging insights that are shaping how we understand and manage gout.
Watch now on RheumNow: https://t.co/nri3WDz7kS
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
New research shows synovial lining enriched in macrophages expressing SPP1 (encoding osteopontin) in proximity to fibroblasts and fibrin deposits. SPP1+ macrophages degrade fibrin & promote fibroblast proliferation that deposit collagen & does the damage, joint remodeling. A new https://t.co/hrJoQXpAH8
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
EULAR26: ANCHOR-RA Study of RA-ILD
People with rheumatoid arthritis are at risk of developing interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), which is associated with high mortality. ANCHOR-RA is a large, international cross-sectional prospective study that will enable the development of a https://t.co/tsOpA4SAZP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: 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. https://t.co/OBFqHYof5m
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @minidey #OP0342 Interim real-world ASTER data showed anifrolumab improved overall SLEDAI-2K scores & reduced disease activity across multiple organ systems over 12 months, particularly mucocutaneous & MSK domains. Nearly 30% achieved SLEDAI-2K=0 at 1 year. #EULAR2026
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: VEXAS Syndrome - A Review
Beck et al has published a review of the VEXAS syndrome in The Lancet, focusing on the pathogenesis, spectrum, and treatment strategies.
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ICYMI: EGPA Review
A current review of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) provides current recommendations on diagnosis and management.
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ICYMI: B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
A recent 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.
Read Article
Prospective study of 6 newly Dx RA pts starting MTX shows MTX causes a decline in T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and plasmablasts (@ wk 3 before clin response), selectively in responders but not nonresponders. MTX shifts cellular & gene expression towards a more physiological https://t.co/scmfAAE9XA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Is there a path to precision medicine in #RA? Theres a substantial unmet need. Immunoengineering is possible thru nanotechnological delivery vectors, cellular therapeutics, & biomaterial scaffolds, with compelling preclinical and early clinical support. https://t.co/gL56EOlt7p https://t.co/31IRNXckym
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
B cell Targeting in SLE
Prospects are growing that an approved, off-the-shelf drug can rescue patients with certain ultra-refractory autoimmune diseases, a pair of new reports suggest.
https://t.co/wGaZPnXfID https://t.co/a0fNvdcrbQ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
B cell Targeting in SLE
MedPage Today
Prospects are growing that an approved, off-the-shelf drug can rescue patients with certain ultra-refractory autoimmune diseases, a pair of new reports suggest.
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Where are we with Biomarkers in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Biomarker interest has grown considerably in the last 2 decades, owing to advances in genetics, imaging, protein, and multiomics. Despite these advances, biomarkers as the predictive holy grail of RA therapeutics and prognostication have not yet advanced beyond rheumatoid serologies and C-
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Is there a path to precision medicine in #RA? Theres a substantial unmet need. Immunoengineering is possible thru nanotechnological delivery vectors, cellular therapeutics, & biomaterial scaffolds, with compelling preclinical and early clinical support. https://t.co/gL56EOlt7p https://t.co/IFSHOM8g7w
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
From Cytokine Endotypes to Clinical Reality in Still’s Disease
Recent EULAR 2026 data highlight a paradigm shift in Still’s disease from syndromic management to biologically informed precision therapy.
https://t.co/fBtkDLPJNE https://t.co/y8NBW6VHHa
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.
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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.
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