$50 Million Gift to Accelerate Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn Medicine

A $50 million gift from Stewart and Judy Colton will accelerate the existing Colton Center for Autoimmunity at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine into an internationally leading center of autoimmune research and treatment with a dedicated space, powerful recruitment capabilities, scientific resources, and more. This gift builds on a $10 million gift from the Coltons, which established the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn in the fall of 2021.

Patients with rare scleroderma have deadlier organ damage, despite getting standard treatment

Patients with a rare form of scleroderma that causes more skin thickening have a greater chance of dying from related heart, lung and kidney problems, a new study found. This occurs despite the patient population taking drugs used to treat most people with scleroderma. Researchers say it is an opportunity for more targeted drug development.

ACR COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance Recommends Vaccination, Addresses Immunosuppressant Drugs & Patient Concerns

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released its COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Summary that provides an official recommendation to vaccinate rheumatology patients with musculoskeletal, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Important considerations and caveats on how to approach vaccination are included for patients with high disease activity and/or those taking immunosuppressant treatments.