The 2008 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting will offer multiple opportunities for attendees to increase their knowledge of rheumatic diseases. New educational programs and returning favorites will give attendees multiple chances to enhance their education and make good use of their time at the meeting.
“The [Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC)] members have continued their efforts to provide multiple choices of topics and sessions specifically targeting clinicians, researchers, pediatric rheumatologists, and trainees, and this year, [the committee has] added sessions for academic educators,” says Brian Mandel, MD, PhD, AMPC chair.
Curbside Consults Return
One returning favorite is the “ACR Curbside Consults: Ask the Professors.” This year, Chester V. Oddis, MD, Nancy E. Lane, MD, and Bevra H. Hahn, MD, will present cases that will not only challenge attendees, but will also provide important take-home points in areas such as refractory inflammatory myopathy and treatment plans for patients with positive antinuclear antibody tests.
Last year’s annual meeting attendees rated “ACR Curbside Consults” as the session most responsible for changing the way they will diagnose and treat patients.
This year’s session, on Monday, October 27 at 11:00 a.m., will provide useful information for practitioners.
Spotlight on SLE
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) will be discussed from both the clinical and research perspectives at the meeting. Attendees will gain new insights on treatment options and data from new research. Here are the new offerings for those who specialize in SLE.
Bench to Bedside: SLE
During the “Bench to Bedside: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” session, Lars Rönnblom, MD, PhD, Mary K. Crow, MD, and Mariana J. Kaplan, MD, will look at the basic science, translational, and clinical implications of SLE.
This session will review how interferon is regulated in autoimmunity, explain how biomarkers related to interferon can be used to evaluate disease activity, and discuss the impact of premature atherosclerosis.
“Bench to Bedside: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” will be held Sunday, October 26 from 2:30–4:00 p.m.
Challenges in Managing SLE
The “Challenges in the Management of Systemic Lupus Erythemastosus” session will provide attendees with the latest data to guide SLE management.
Victoria P. Werth, MD, John G. Kelton, MD, and Christy I. Sandborg, MD, will discuss the management of refractory skin disease; explain the etiopathogenesis and treatment of immunemediated thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia; and describe the unique challenges of managing young adults with lupus.
“Challenges in the Management of Systemic Lupus Erythemastosus” will be held on Monday, October 27 from 2:30–4:00 p.m.
Epigenetics of Rheumatic Diseases
During the “Epigenetics of Rheumatic Diseases” session, attendees will look at epigenetic control of disease-relevant genes and the new medications targeting epigenetic mechanisms.
Christopher B. Wilson, MD, Bruce C. Richardson, MD, PhD, and Ian M. Adcock, PhD, will explain how epigenetic mechanisms control gene activation, help identify DNA demethylation and histone modifications as critical mechanisms in autoimmune diseases, and offer suggestions on the potential of histone acetylation as a therapeutic target in inflammatory disease.
“Epigenetics of Rheumatic Diseases” will be held Tuesday, October 28 from 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Finally, to help attendees maximize their time at this year’s meeting, Dr. Mandell and the AMPC have made the following changes:
- Encore Theater presentations will be expanded to include television transmission into selected hotels;
- Special tours of the poster presentations will be led by academic leaders with expertise in the specific content areas; and
- Study group times will be expanded into the lunch hour to permit more attendees to participate.
For more information about the 2008 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting, visit www.rheumatology.org/annual.
