Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

EGPA, kidney damage raise risk of blood clots in AAV patients: Study

People with the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and AAV patients with reduced kidney function are more likely to experience thrombosis (blood clots that disrupt blood flow), according to a single-center study in China. Results also indicated AAV patients with higher…

Urine, blood biomarkers may help track AAV activity: Study

Biomarkers measured in blood or urine may help track disease activity and organ damage in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a systematic review study. AAV is an autoimmune disorder in which self-reactive antibodies called anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) attack the body’s own neutrophils — a type of…

Top 10 ANCA-associated vasculitis stories of 2023

At ANCA Vasculitis News, we have spent the last year bringing you coverage of the latest developments in research and treatment for ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most-read articles of 2023, with a brief description of each. We look forward to…

ANCAs may hold unique role in vessel inflammation with EGPA

Self-reactive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, or ANCAs, may play a unique role in driving blood vessel inflammation in people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest form of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). That’s according to a small study, which found that disease relapses outside the respiratory system occurred only in EGPA…

Phase 1 trial to open into SC291, CAR T-cell therapy for AAV

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Sana Biotechnology’s investigational new drug (IND) application requesting a Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational cell therapy SC291 in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and other autoimmune diseases. “Our goal is to develop SC291 for patients with multiple…

Complement protein in blood may predict kidney damage in MPA

High blood levels of the immune protein C4 are significantly associated with greater kidney-specific disease activity and a higher chance of developing kidney failure with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the most common type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study shows. For this reason, measuring blood C4 levels may help predict…

Low-dose glucocorticoids just as effective for long-term AAV control

A treatment regimen that combines low-dose glucocorticoids and rituximab is just as effective at controlling ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) as a standard regimen of high-dose glucocorticoids and rituximab, according to two-year data from a clinical trial. The long-term findings indicate that, while the efficacy is comparable, the risk of serious…