News

Rare disease-themed videos glowed on a large screen before an audience of people in wheelchairs, with crutches, and bearing oxygen tanks this Nov. 9 and 10 in San Francisco. Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival strives to eventually host a film about every one of the nearly 7,000 rare…

A non-invasive test that measures nerve conduction through surface electrodes may help diagnose polyneuropathy — damage to multiple nerves outside the brain and spinal cord — in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, a study suggests. The study, “Polyneuropathy and the sural/radial sensory…

Doctors should suspect primary Sjögren’s syndrome when examining patients, especially young women, with recurrent aseptic meningitis — a form of inflammation of the meninges, a membrane protecting the brain and spinal cord, that is not caused by bacteria, a case report suggests. The study, “Recurrent aseptic meningitis:…

Interstitial lung disease (ILD), or lung tissue scarring, commonly occurs in people with primary Sjögren’s syndrome in China and significantly burdens their quality of life, in particular their physical capacity, a Chinese study reports. Strengthening early interventions and treatment is of great importance in preventing ILD and improving…

Immunoglobulin injections may be a good choice to help resolve damage to the nerves that provide sensation or underly movement — a condition called peripheral neuropathy — in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, a review…

New diagnostic criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), released by the European and American rheumatology societies, helps to better distinguish patients with lupus from those with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, a study reports. The study, “New 2019 SLE EULAR/ACR classification criteria are valuable for distinguishing patients with SLE…

The content of mesenchymal stem cells — cells that can make several cell types, including cartilage and bone — improved saliva and tear flow, increased tissue regeneration, and reduced immune cell infiltration and autoantibody production in a mouse model of Sjogren’s syndrome, a study found. The study, “…

Artificial intelligence may complement — or even replace — manual search for researchers performing literature reviews, a new study suggests. The study, which used primary Sjögren’s syndrome as an example, also points out a need for more research on how the condition affects the skin. The study, “…

Oral rebamipide, a gastroprotective medication approved in some countries, may slow the progression of Sjögren’s syndrome by increasing the number of regulatory B- and T-cells and reducing the production of inflammatory molecules in the salivary glands and spleen, according to research in a mouse model of the disease. The study,…

Next month’s annual conference of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in Washington, D.C., couldn’t come at a better time, says Marshall Summar, MD, chairman of NORD’s board of directors. “The pace of discovery in rare diseases has gone from brisk to hypersonic,” Summar told Bionews Services, publisher…