Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

Andrea Lobo holds a PhD in cell biology/neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, from stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She has authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Tavneos found safe, effective for AAV patients in real-world study

Adding Tavneos (avacopan) to standard maintenance treatment safely and effectively promotes disease remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, according to a real-world study involving five German centers. In fact, remission rates after one year of Tavneos treatment were higher than those reported in the Phase 3 ADVOCATE…

Large-vessel involvement in AAV tied to neurological manifestations

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with neurological manifestations are more than three times more likely to have large blood vessel involvement (LVI), according to a multicenter study in France and Belgium. Data also showed that LVI most commonly affected the aorta — the large artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood to…

Kidney failure risk factors ID’d in children with AAV kidney disease

While it’s rare in children, ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV)-related glomerulonephritis, that is, an inflammation of the glomeruli, the kidneys’ filtering units, is associated with high rates of kidney failure or death, a study shows. Also, scar tissue accumulating in the glomeruli, other kidney tissue abnormalities, and high protein levels in…

ANCA antibodies against both PR3, MPO result in hybrid AAV features

People with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who are positive for antibodies against both myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) show a combination of clinical characteristics from patients with each antibody type, according to a recent study in China. While double-positive patients are generally more similar to those with MPO-ANCAs, particularly…

Tavneos linked to remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis

Tavneos (avacopan) safely and effectively promotes clinical remission in people with newly diagnosed or relapsing ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a multicenter, real-world study in the U.S. The remission rates after a year of treatment were higher than those in the Phase 3 ADVOCATE trial (NCT02994927), whose…

Occupational silica exposure could trigger MPA in some cases: Report

Occupational exposure to silica, one of the most common minerals in the earth’s crust, may lead to microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) — a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis — particularly in individuals with a genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases, a case report suggests. Silica, found in sand and rocks, is known to…

Study in Japan shows AAV relapses more frequent in summer

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) relapses occur more frequently during the summer and spring, particularly for people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or with anti-proteinase 3 (PR3) antibodies, a study in Japan reports. More frequent nasal infections caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus during the summer in Japan may trigger inflammation…

Telitacicept combo works to treat severe GPA in man, 64: Report

A 64-year-old man with severe granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) saw his condition improve with the use of a triple combination of standard cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids along with the experimental therapy telitacicept, according to a case report from China. RemeGen’s telitacicept is approved in China under the brand name…