Vanda Pinto, PhD, science writer —

​​Vanda is a biochemist with a PhD in biomedicine from the University of Porto, Portugal. She conducted her postdoctoral research first at the Bristol Medical School, U.K., studying the insulin-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy, then at the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, where her focus was on glycosylation in lupus nephritis and inflammatory bowel disease. She next made the switch to science publishing, handling papers in biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology.

Articles by Vanda Pinto

June 13, 2022 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD

Man Develops AAV Following Blood Stem Cell Transplant: Case Study

A 65-year-old man developed granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a type of anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), after receiving a stem cell transplant for another autoimmune condition, according to a case report. “[Our] case report suggests that [AAV] may develop in the setting of stem cell transplantation and must…

May 25, 2022 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD

AAV Patients With Skin Lesions May Be ANCA-Negative, Study Finds

Many ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with skin lesions test negative for ANCA antibodies — proteins produced by the immune system that bind to white blood cells called neutrophils, ultimately triggering an autoimmune reaction. As a result, researchers contend that ANCA testing should not be used as the only criteria…

May 18, 2022 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD

Relapses Less Likely in Patients With Past Autoimmune Disorder: Study

People with a past history of autoimmune disease before developing ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have significantly fewer relapses after achieving remission, a study reported. Post-remission chances of a relapse were 67% lower in these AAV patients and took longer to occur, findings showed. Its researchers argued that these results support a…

December 29, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD

Rituximab for AAV Linked to Poor Responses to COVID-19 Vaccines

Treatment with the CD20 inhibitor rituximab is significantly associated with poor antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. However, the number of antibody-producing B-cells, the rituximab dose, and the timing between last rituximab administration and vaccination were all important factors determining how…

December 15, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD

Blood Levels of Proteins Identify Active AAV in Long-term Study

Blood levels of several proteins — CXCL13, interleukins IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) — were validated as effective at identifying active ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in a long-term study. The study, “Serum Biomarkers of Disease Activity in Longitudinal Assessment…

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