Hot Topics in Immunology

Hot Topics in Immunology

Leonard H. Calabrese, DO (moderator); William Rigby, MD; Gregg Silverman, MD; John Looney, MD

There are over 80 different types of autoimmune diseases affecting 24 million people in the U.S. And that number is growing: According to a 2015 review of literature, the number of people living with autoimmune disease has risen 7% in the last decade. In the United States, researchers estimate that autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases combined affect up to 52 million people, and the prevalence is expected to increase to more than 75 million by 2040.

During the past decade, advances in research on rheumatic disease pathogenesis along with the development of biologic therapies have increased the understanding of the sophisticated immunopathogenic basis of these diseases and the increasingly complex therapeutic mechanisms of action. As a result, many practitioners, particularly those removed from ongoing academic exposure or who treat only a small population of these patients, have substantial knowledge gaps regarding new insights into the pathogenesis of immunologic disease, essential mechanisms of action of new agents, toxicities associated with their use, and how to weigh those factors in clinical practice decisions.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of life for many, including those with compromised immunity and furthered additional gaps in knowledge regarding the treatment of immunocompromised patients in the COVID-19 era.

For this educational activity, the activity directors and faculty, all experts in clinical immunology, have identified the following topics as having knowledge and competence gaps among practitioners:

The role of integrated immune response, host defense and immune-mediated diseases and recent advances that may influence patient care.
The mechanisms of action of targeted therapies as they relate to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases including psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis.
Recent advances in prevention and outpatient treatment of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients and the use of immune-based therapies for those hospitalized with severe COVID-19 disease.
Developments in the use of targeted therapies.
The role of wellness activities and autoimmune disease.