Marta Figueiredo, PhD,  Managing Science Editor—

Marta holds a biology degree, a master’s in evolutionary and developmental biology, and a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She was awarded a research scholarship and a PhD scholarship, and her research focused on the role of several signaling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development. She also previously worked as an assistant professor of an annual one-week embryology course at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine.

Articles by Marta Figueiredo

Fasenra keeps EGPA in remission for up to two years: Trial data

Up to two years of treatment with AstraZeneca’s Fasenra (benralizumab) helped adults with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) that’s difficult to treat achieve and maintain disease remission, while reducing or eliminating the need for oral corticosteroids. That’s according to combined data from the completed head-to-head portion and the…

Immune Cells Work as ‘Friend and Foe’ in ANCA-associated Vasculitis

Similar to neutrophils, circulating immune macrophage cells contribute to lung bleeding and damage caused by ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study showed. These circulating macrophages were found to have an abnormally activated DNA sensing system — typically used to detect foreign DNA and fight infections — that promotes inflammation. Deleting these macrophages…

Tavneos Plus Rituximab Safe and Effective in Real-world Use

Tavneos (avacopan), in combination with rituximab, leads to high remission rates without a need for standard glucocorticoids in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a small, real-life study in France. These findings add to results from previous clinical trials, further supporting Tavneos as an effective first-line approach…

Study Identifies Early Risk Factors for Kidney Failure in AAV

Poor kidney function and worse overall disease severity at diagnosis can predict kidney failure in adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a small single-center study in Turkey. In addition, AAV patients with either hypocomplementemia — low levels of complement proteins in the blood — or a five-factor score…