Forest Ray PhD,  —

A researcher investigating pathogens — disease-causing microorganisms — capable of causing neurosarcoidosis has been awarded $150,000 from the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR). The FSR Sarcoidosis Research Fellowship Grant will provide Paula Barreras, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University Hospital, with two years of funding for her project. Titled…

African American women diagnosed with sarcoidosis or who have strong connections to the sarcoidosis community, are invited to apply to become members of the Women of Color Committee of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR). The FRS Committee aims to provide insight into a large-scale education and awareness…

Cells of the innate immune system called monocytes can be useful biomarkers to predict the outcomes of people with sarcoidosis, a recent study has found. The findings showed that patients with low levels of blood monocytes at diagnosis were more likely to achieve remission after two years and had…

The two COVID-19 vaccines that recently received emergency approval from the U.S. and other worldwide regulatory agencies are expected to pose little risk to the rare disease community, including to patients with compromised immune systems or those participating in gene therapy studies. That was the message of a recent…

Researchers in Japan reported a case of sarcoidosis associated with a specific bacterium and complicated by an acute bird-related — pigeons, in this case — inflammatory lung disease called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. A distinct type of granuloma specifically linked to the man’s bird-related disease was also, possibly for the…

Exposure to inhaled silica dust appears to increase the risk of sarcoidosis among men 20 to 65 years old, according to a recent study from Sweden. Men 35 and younger, and older men with more than six years of regular exposure to the dust saw the highest risk.

Sarcoidosis is associated with a higher risk for certain complications in pregnancy, according to data from a Swedish population-based study. These complications include eclampsia — the onset of seizures in pregnant women — and preeclampsia or high blood pressure in the mother, cesarian delivery, preterm…

Same But Different, a U.K. nonprofit that uses the arts to bring communities together, is holding a calendar photography competition to raise awareness for rare diseases. Under the theme “A Glimmer of Hope,” the competition is a means to “visually express the hope that exists for people affected by…

Raremark, an online rare disease patient community, has launched a digital platform called Xperiome, aimed at streamlining the search for new medicines for rare disorders and incorporating more patient input into research. The goal is to help the pharmaceutical industry deliver innovative new therapies faster and smarter, the…

Although neurological symptoms are rare in people with sarcoidosis, physicians should consider neurosarcoidosis in cases of myelitis and hydrocephalus, as prompt steroid treatment can improve patient outcomes. The recommendation comes from researchers at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in a recent case study, “Hydrocephalus…