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

AAV raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, review study finds

People with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and related mortality than people without the disease, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies. For example, the risk of venous thromboembolism, a blood clot that develops in a vein, was three times higher…

Phase 1 trial of CAR T-cell therapy will soon enroll AAV patients

A Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of Adicet Bio’s CAR T-cell therapy ADI-001 in people with autoimmune diseases, including ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), has started recruiting certain participants — and it’s expected to enroll AAV patients by the end of the year — the…

CT scan damage may predict ANCA-associated vasculitis outcomes

Patterns of lung damage on CT scans may help predict disease outcomes in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and determine which patients should receive more intensive treatment, a study in Germany suggests. Particularly, ground glass opacities (GGO), which are white diffuse regions due to fluid, airway collapse, tissue scarring,…

Fasenra approval for EGPA in EU recommended by committee

A European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of Fasenra (benralizumab) as an add-on treatment for adults with hard-to-treat eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). If approved for the recommended indication, the AstraZeneca therapy would be a new option for patients in…

Rituximab may raise risks of adverse events in AAV: Study

Rituximab may be associated with a higher risk of serious adverse events, particularly infections, in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Time to first serious adverse event, as well as to second and multiple serious adverse events, is significantly shorter for patients treated with rituximab…

Treating ANCA-associated vasculitis with rituximab tied to HGG risk

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients treated with rituximab are up to four times more likely to develop hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG), or low blood levels of antibodies that help fight off infections, than people with other autoimmune conditions. That’s according to a real-world study in China that also found that higher…

Rituximab treatment more effective than cyclophosphamide for GPA

Treatment with rituximab is superior to cyclophosphamide at inducing disease remission in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), according to a single-center study in Iran. While the safety profiles of the two therapies were comparable, treatment with rituximab was more effective, the study found. Specifically, about 90% of…

1 in 4 patients may relapse on rituximab maintenance, study finds

About a quarter of people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) under maintenance treatment with rituximab experience relapses, mainly during the first two years. That’s according to a real-world study in Greece that looked at data from 101 people with GPA or MPA, the two most common…

Set of clinical red flags identified as checklist for possible EGPA

Researchers have identified a set of clinical red flags that could help detect eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Among the red flags are specific high-level thresholds of eosinophils, a type of immune cell, combined with other signs including asthma, nasal polyps,…