Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
New research in mice shows that sclerostin deficiency may play a significant role in bone formation, possibly despite skeletal age. In the study, sclerostin-deficient mice more readily formed cortical bone and had increases in periosteal bone formation rates, as well as increased expression of the Wnt inhibitor Dkk1, than controls…
Research has found that taking adalimumab plus methotrexate is effective for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. However, these patients may also experience an increased incidence of adverse and serious adverse events compared with those taking only methotrexate…
Research in precision immunology is in its early stages. But new insights into cohorts, RA gene expression and infection presented at FOCUS 2017 may benefit future research and patient care…
A session at the FOCIS 2017 meeting examined the current challenges and understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, in the hope of stimulating new approaches to deciphering the disease’s mechanistic and immunological underpinnings…
Researchers from the AMP RA/Lupus Network came together in June at the annual FOCIS meeting to share their progress as they perform a systematic molecular deconstruction of human diseases…
A new review examined how drug-free interventions affect pain relief and analgesic consumption for patients who have had knee surgery. Although little evidence shows these treatments reduce actual pain, electrotherapy and acupuncture may help patients delay their postoperative use of opioids…
Treatment with oral methylprednisolone may be associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events, specifically infection, in patients with IgA nephropathy. Despite the five-times higher risk, study results also showed a three-times lower risk of kidney failure for the treatment group…
A new study in mice found that Hyal2 deficiency may play a role in the turnover of cartilage hyaluronan, resulting in an accumulation of hyaluronan and, eventually, the development of osteoarthritis. Researchers suspect these results indicate an imbalance in the metabolism of hyaluronan…
In a recent clinical trial, tocilizumab helped sustain glucocorticoid-free remission in patients with giant cell arteritis. Patients also received a prednisone taper, and 50% of tocilizumab-treated patients achieved prednisone-free remission and were less likely to experience disease flare compared with placebo…
New research found that older patients on prednisolone who are also treated with alendronate experience a significantly lower risk of hip fracture. Alendronate use was also associated with a lower risk of death…