Stem-cell therapy transforms lupus patient's life - UCI Health

Response rates with litifilimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2), continued to rise through week 52 in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) refractory or intolerant to antimalarials, according to Victoria P. Werth, MD, professor of dermatology and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and François Chasset, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at Sorbonne Université and Hôpital Tenon in Paris. The 2 discussed the phase 2 AMETHYST Part A data in an HCPLive special report from the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna, Austria (September 30–October 3). The findings come from a Biogen-sponsored congress abstract that has not been peer-reviewed, and both speakers are authors on it.1 AMETHYST Part A (NCT05531565) randomized 93 adults to subcutaneous litifilimab (n = 59) or placebo (n = 34) every 4 weeks through week 24, after which all participants received litifilimab through week 52.1 Chasset noted the cohort was 74% women and 33% non-white.

Background The Royal College of Radiologists' (RCR) iRefer guidelines are an established evidence-based clinical decision support tool intended to optimise diagnostic imaging referrals, reduce unnecessary radiation exposure, and improve radiology workflow efficiency. In Ireland, imaging referrals also carry statutory weight: Statutory Instrument (S.I.) No. 256 of 2018 places defined duties on referrers regarding the justification of medical exposures, and Health Service Executive (HSE) guidance requires referrers to have access to iRefer or an equivalent decision support tool. Awareness and use of iRefer among non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) in smaller, high-turnover hospital settings are poorly described. Aim To evaluate awareness, utilisation, and accessibility of the iRefer guidelines among NCHDs in a Model 3 hospital and to identify the systemic, technological, and cultural barriers preventing routine use. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. Phase 1 comprised an in-person, anonymous cross-sectional audit questionnaire developed by the authors for this study, administered to NCHDs to assess awareness, decision-making sources, and guideline

Dengue feverAccording to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Dhaka, at least six dengue patients died and 2,088 others were hospitalised in the past 24 hours, bringing the total cases and deaths to 112,400 and 348, respectively. September has been the deadliest month of the year so far, logging 43,774 hospital admissions and 148 deaths. Significant outbreaks are hitting the Dhaka area and the Chattogram, Khulna, and Barishal divisions due to high population density and inadequate waste management. Typically a monsoon-season illness (June to September), dengue transmission in Bangladesh is increasingly shifting and extending into late autumn due to unseasonal rains and climate shifts. Currently, 6,026 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals across the country. Bangladesh’s record dengue fever season in 2023 with Dr. Md Rafiul HasanMeaslesThe large measles outbreak in Bangladesh has yet to be contained. Sonce mid-March, the country reported 203,000 suspected measles cases, including 23,000 confirmed cases have been reported. At least 1,196 people have died, with children under five accounting for 94% of reported deaths.

LOS ANGELES — Scientists have found microplastics in virtually every part of the human body. Yet many questions remain about what exactly these infinitesimal flecks of synthetic polymers do to human health, and how they might cause disease. A new paper looking at the chemical reactions between water and disintegrating plastic offers a potential hypothesis for how microplastics might make us sick.

Antibiotic use from childhood through early adulthood was associated with higher odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 24, with the odds increasing as the number of antibiotic prescriptions rose, according to a new study presented at UEG Week 2026.