Certain Immune Cells May Help Assess AAV Disease Activity

Certain Immune Cells May Help Assess AAV Disease Activity

A blood parameter called large unstained cell count or LUC – which measures the numbers of certain activated immune cells – appears to associate with higher ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) disease activity, a small study found. These results, when combined with the findings of previous, larger-scale studies, show that “LUC…

Choosing When and How to Talk About My Disease

“Do you want to get dinner this weekend?” It’s a simple question with a complex answer for a chronic disease patient. What time will we eat? At which restaurant? Does the menu suit my needs? Do I have the budget for it this month? Will I have the spoons…

Nominations Open for 2022 Eurordis Black Pearl Awards

Nominations are now open for the worldwide 2022 Black Pearl Awards from Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. The 12 award categories recognize individual advocates, policy makers, researchers, organizations, and companies who work to make a difference for the global rare disease community. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 10…

ChemoCentryx Amends Approval Application for Avacopan

ChemoCentryx has filed an amendment to its application seeking approval of avacopan, an investigational therapy for the treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The filing addresses the issues raised by an advisory committee of independent medical experts during a recent meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug…

I Just Want to Be Strong

I’m in the gym, on minute 17 of the stair-stepper machine, exhausted and desperately watching the timer count up to 20. That’s today’s goal: nonstop stepping on levels five and six for 20 minutes. This session is bookended by a 10-minute treadmill warmup and cooldown to get my heart rate…

Life Is Easier in the Summer

When the weather is nice, I tend to forget I’m sick. The sun is shining, the yard is green and inviting, and I don’t even have to put on shoes to enjoy it all. (In fact, according to the grounding technique, it might be healthier not to!) There are…

Healing by Houseplant

Summer mornings in my house are deliciously slow. Around 8 a.m., the dogs know our first task is to go outside and tend to the plants. I fill a watering can and make the rounds: vegetables, herb garden, succulents on the porch, and tea plants on the patio. The better…