Author Archives: Marta Figueiredo PhD

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is holding a two-day virtual patient education summit focused on providing relevant medical content on sarcoidosis, patient and care-partner perspectives, and updates on current and future research in the field. To attend the summit, set for June 12–13, patients and caregivers can…

aTyr Pharma, which is developing a candidate therapy for pulmonary sarcoidosis called ATYR1923, has appointed Andrea Wilson — a sarcoidosis patient and advocate who co-founded the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) — as a patient advisor. “We are pleased during Sarcoidosis Awareness Month to welcome Andrea, a…

People with rare disorders have a worse healthcare experience than those affected by chronic diseases, according to the results of an international survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. Indeed, rare disease patients overall give their healthcare experience a medium-low rating, of 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to XTMAB-16, Xentria’s investigational TNF-alpha inhibitor for the treatment of sarcoidosis. The designation is given to candidate therapies with the potential to be safe…

The first wave of COVID-19 in Europe severely disrupted access to care and raised stress and anxiety in people with rare diseases, negatively affecting their health and well-being, according to a survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. “People living with rare diseases in Europe have found themselves caught as collateral…

Testicular sperm aspiration for in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a successful strategy to overcome infertility associated with methotrexate– and steroid-resistant testicular sarcoidosis, a case study shows. The report documents a case of a man who, within two years of a sarcoidosis diagnosis, showed complete azoospermia (absence…

Severe fatigue affects more than 60% of pulmonary sarcoidosis patients and is associated with worse shortness of breath, daytime sleepiness, anxiety and depression, catastrophizing, functional impairments, and quality of life, according to a Dutch study. The research also showed similar findings for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),…

Intermediate monocytes, a type of immune cell, may contribute to the development and progression of sarcoidosis through the production of TARC — a molecule that attracts other specific immune cells linked to inflammation, according to a small study. These findings point to intermediate monocytes and TARC as potential treatment targets…

Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy — a relatively new method of collecting lung tissue for analysis — safely and successfully helps to provide a definitive sarcoidosis diagnosis when the usual and less-invasive diagnostic tools are insufficient, a Portuguese study suggests. The study, “Diagnostic yield and safety of transbronchial…

Researchers have reported a new case of cutaneous sarcoidosis in a Finnish woman previously treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a type of blood cancer — noting that sarcoidosis development after lymphoma may be underreported. These insights were highlighted in a correspondence titled “Cutaneous sarcoidosis after Hodgkin…