Posts by: Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana brings more than 8 years of academic research and experience as well as Scientific writing and editing to her role as a Science and Research writer. She also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal, where she also received her PhD in Health Science and Technologies, with a specialty in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

July 20, 2017

Smokers with Estrogen-related Gene Variations Are at Higher Risk of Developing Lupus, Study Reports

News

Smokers who have certain variations of the estrogen-related ESR1 gene are at higher risk of developing lupus, a study suggests. The research, “Estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1) polymorphism and its ... Read more

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017

Older Lupus Patients Are More Prone to Developing a Form of the Disease Affecting Limbs, Study Reports

News

Older lupus patients may be at risk of developing a form of the disease that affects arms and legs, according to a study. The most common manifestation of the peripheral nervous ... Read more

June 29, 2017June 29, 2017

Children of Mothers with Lupus More Likely to Develop Learning Disorders, Review Reports

News

Children born to mothers with lupus may end up with developmental disabilities, according to a review of more than two dozen studies. Learning and reading difficulties and dyslexia are among ... Read more

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017

Voclosporin Combo Does Better Than Standard Therapy in Eliminating Lupus Nephritis, Trial Shows

News

A combination of voclosporin and standard therapy eliminated the inflamed-kidney condition lupus nephritis in twice as many patients as those who received standard care alone, according to a Phase 2b ... Read more

June 14, 2017June 14, 2017

Exagen Diagnostics Develops Blood Test to Monitor Lupus and Lupus Nephritis

News

Exagen Diagnostics has developed a blood test to keep tabs on the conditions of people with lupus and the kidney disease lupus nephritis. The company has made the test, which it calls the AVISE ... Read more

June 8, 2017June 8, 2017

Allergy-Susceptibility Condition Known as Atopy Worsens Juvenile Lupus Outcomes, Study Reports

News

Youngsters with an allergy-susceptibility condition known as atopy have worse cases of lupus when diagnosed and poorer outcomes than patients without atopy, a study reports. The research, “Atopy in children ... Read more

May 31, 2017May 31, 2017

Cervical Cancer Risk Higher for Lupus Patients Who Use Immunosuppressive Treatments

News

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) receiving immunosuppressive treatment may be at risk of developing high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer, compared to patients receiving hydroxychloroquine therapy alone. Although more ... Read more

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Starts Phase 3 Trial of Voclosporin as Lupus Nephritis Treatment

News

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has started a Phase 3 clinical trial of voclosporin’s ability to treat lupus nephritis, a lupus-generated condition that causes kidneys to become inflamed and eventually fail. The double-blind, ... Read more

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017

Voclosporin Shows Promise as Potential Treatment for Lupus Nephritis

News

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ product candidate voclosporin continues to show promise in patients with lupus nephritis (LN), according to the company. In addition to meeting complete and partial remission endpoints at 48 ... Read more

April 18, 2017April 18, 2017

Lupus Foundation Publishes Recommendations to Improve Clinical Trials

News

Clinical trials with lupus patients should have a longer duration and a careful selection of patients based on certain parameters such as disease severity and treatment, recommends the Lupus Foundation ... Read more