Patients with acute pericarditis who are treated with colchicine in combination with a traditional antiinflammatory therapy experience a significantly reduced rate of incessant or recurrent pericarditis. (posted Oct. 31)
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.
Articles by Lara C. Pullen, PhD
Telomere Length Provides Insights into Cartilage Aging and Repair
Chondrocyte telomere length might play a role in the natural aging of cartilage, as well as the development and progression of OA. (posted Oct. 8, 2013)
Study Points to Need for Increased Antirheumatic Therapy in Patients with Dyslipidemia
A new study suggests that patients diagnosed with RA as well as dyslipidemia may benefit from more aggressive antirheumatic therapy. (posted Oct. 3, 2013)
Lactoferricin’s Role in Preventing Disc Degeneration
The combination of bone-morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) and lactoferricin B (LfcinB) may be a useful treatment for disc degeneration. (posted Sept. 16, 2013)
Sensory Nerves May Be Key for Osteoporosis
Sensory nerves have an essential role in bone remodeling. In particular, semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) regulates bone remodeling by modulating sensory nerve development. (posted Sept. 9, 2013)
New Methodology to Improve Cartilage Repair
A single treatment with recombinant acid ceramidase improves the chondrogenic phenotype of primary chondrocytes and leads to an increased yield of mesenchymal stem cells. (posted July 31, 2013)
B-Cell Genes Interact to Increase Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers demonstrate that BANK1 is a susceptibility gene for RA, and it may play a role in RA pathogenesis. (posted June 31, 2013)
Th17 May Contribute to Bone Destruction by Modifying Osteoclasts
New research describes the role of RANKL-expressing Th17 cells in inflammatory bone destruction. (posted June 3, 2013)
TNF-α Impairs Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
When researchers treated patients with RA with TNF-α–specific antibody, they were able to restore Treg cell function. (posted June 3, 2013)
Salt as a Promoter of Th17 Cells and Autoimmune Disease
New research on Th17 suggests that a high salt diet may be a risk factor for inflammation.