The drug sotatercept targets a novel pathway that is not targeted with any of the current medications for PAH. Lewis Rubin, MD, will describe the mechanism of action of this drug and how it differs from previous PAH treatment.

In Tuesday’s plenary session, researchers will discuss new developments related to vasculitis and pregnancy, synovial lining fibroblasts, urinary biomarkers in lupus nephritis, premature mortality in gout, lumbar spine bone mineral density, and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis.

Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, will deliver this year’s Rheumatology Research Foundation Memorial Lecture – To Memorialize Dr. Roy Altman. The late Dr. Altman was a leader in the field of rheumatology and the ACR for more than 30 years, and his work continues to pave the way for the future of osteoarthritis research and care.

Given its rarity and the fact that many of the symptoms are nonspecific, imyositis can be challenging for rheumatologists to correctly identify and manage. The consequence of a missed diagnosis could be permanent organ damage, as panelist Lisa Christopher-Stine, MD, MPH, will explain.

Reji Mathew, LCSW, PhD, REAT, a licensed clinical social worker and registered expressive arts therapist, will share strategies to avoid burnout by fostering calm, coping, and resiliency among rheumatology professionals.

Sagar Bapat, MD, PhD, will present research demonstrating that obesity can functionally change the inflammatory state of a disease. Taku Kambayashi, MD, PhD, will present research demonstrating the inverse, that immune cells influence metabolism, including a new role for T cells in inducing weight loss.

Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis & Rheumatology, and Josef Smolen, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, will moderate this session on papers currently in press highlighting innovations in the field.

Researchers reviewed some of the most significant recent findings in basic and clinical investigation and the clinical practice of rheumatology, including the implications of deficiencies of the dedicator of cytokinesis 11 gene. Philip Seo, MD, MHS, presented this year’s clinical science update. He was joined by Tomas Mustelin, MD, PhD, who delivered the basic science…

In Plenary I, researchers reviewed new insights into the dynamics of autoimmune rheumatic disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, and pregnancy; systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary arterial hypertension; gene expression of synovial macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis; and reduced glucocorticoid dosing. Maria Powell, MD, shared the proposed first-ever consensus recommendations on musculoskeletal ultrasound training for Canada.

In this audience-driven Meet the Panel session, featuring Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc, and other experts, participants shared lessons learned and knowledge gaps regarding COVID-19 vaccination among patients with rheumatic disease, drug therapies to treat COVID-19, risk of viral rebound, and more. Dr. Wallace said shared decision-making with patients is the best approach to prevent and…