Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

The lungs of patients with sarcoidosis are burdened with a more active subset of immune T-cells, called mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a study reports. The activity of these MAIT cells correlates with worse disease, supporting their potential as therapeutic targets, the researchers said. The study, “…

The current scoring system used to assess the urgency of lung transplants, called LAS (lung allocation score), fails to predict the risk of death in people with sarcoidosis, a single center study suggests. The study “Mortality for sarcoidosis patients on the transplant wait list in the…

While there no therapies approved for sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (SAPH), pulmonary hypertension-specific therapies may help ease right heart dysfunction in a select group of patients, according to results of a large cohort study. The study, “Clinical Features and Outcomes of Patients with Sarcoidosis-associated Pulmonary Hypertension,” was published in…

The investigational therapy ATYR1923 for pulmonary sarcoidosis may help decrease lung inflammation by halting the infiltration of immune cells called neutrophils into the lungs, according to a preclinical study in mice. Suzanne Paz, PhD, from the therapy’s developer aTyr Pharma, presented the findings in a poster, titled “…

A literature review of research performed in specific populations from countries worldwide estimated a heritability of 60 to 70 percent for familial sarcoidosis, a study has found. The study titled “Clinical epidemiology of familial sarcoidosis: A systematic literature review” was published in the journal Respiratory Medicine. While the…

Middle-aged adults with impaired lung function, such as people with sarcoidosis, are at higher risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, according to a long-term follow-up study. The study, “Impaired Lung Function, Lung Disease and Risk of Incident Dementia” was published in the American Journal of…

Cardiac arrhythmias are increasing among sarcoidosis patients, and they are linked with higher hospital admission and mortality rates, a U.S. patient population study finds. These results, published in the study, “The burden of cardiac arrhythmias in sarcoidosis: a population-based inpatient analysis,” highlight the need for timely diagnosis…

aTyr Pharma, which developing therapies to modulate immune pathways involved in lung diseases, has announced an upcoming Phase 1b/2a study to test their lead therapy ATYR1923 in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. ATYR1923 is an immunomodulatory molecule that’s able to bind to the Neuropilin-2 (NRP-2) receptor protein, part of…

The levels of two blood-circulating microRNAs, called microRNA-126 and microRNA-223, may work as new biomarkers for cardiac sarcoidosis, according to researchers. Their small study, “Serum microRNA-126 and -223 as new-generation biomarkers for sarcoidosis in patients with heart failure,” was published in the Journal of Cardiology. Cardiac…

Infection from the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes is found frequently and at high rates in the lymph nodes of sarcoidosis patients and may contribute to the formation of granulomas, a small study suggests. These results also provide another piece of evidence linking P. acnes bacteria to sarcoidosis. The study, “Propionibacterium acnes-derived insoluble immune…