Last month was particularly busy for our Division’s research, with a broad range of studies published across rheumatology and related fields. In case you missed them, here’s a recap, from biomarkers and ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis to Sjögren disease, vaccination, and D2T RA:

💊 #Methotrexate has been the mainstay of treatment for #RheumatoidArthritis. Researchers at #MedUniVienna analysed how the drug alters the #immunesystem during the first few weeks of treatment. ⬇️ 💡 MTX triggers coordinated changes in the immune system within just a few weeks. 📰 @ard.eular.org​

Rheumatoid arthritis: Early immune changes during methotrexate treatment may predict treatment success

Details of the MedUni Vienna study!

meduniwien.ac.at

What a fantastic #EULAR2026 in London! Proud of the outstanding scientific contributions from our Division of Rheumatology @meduniwien.ac.at, from talks, posters and chairing to leadership in key sessions. Great visibility also for @squeezeproject.bsky.social and @autopix.bsky.social!

Did you notice the large crowd of people in the NPO area last night just before the networking dinner at #EULAR2026? There's heaps of passionate clinicians, scientists, HCP, & patients involved in a large number of EU consortia like SQUEEZE - come by at booth **O17** and learn more about our work!

Please help us by completing this survey on the availability, accessibility & affordability of #RA treatments across Europe. The results will help identify disparities in the treatment access across Europe & support future evidence-based recommendations for more equitable care. #EULAR2026

✨ Join us at 1pm BST via livestream or in person as we officially kick off #EULAR2026! Led by the EULAR Board, the Opening Plenary brings together the community to highlight key Congress moments and honour excellence in RMDs through the Award Ceremony. Watch here 👉 https://pulse.ly/g91er5akam

Safety is key in RA management! The 2025 @eular.org update, led by Faidra Laskou & Victoria Konzett, reviews DMARD risks from infections to cardiovascular events. How does this shape practice? Read more: doi.org/10.1016/j.ar.... Grateful to global collaborators for advancing RA care!

4th virtual @squeezeproject.bsky.social consortium meeting done. A moment to reflect on 3.5 years of work improving RA care and align on the road to Nov next year. Thanks to all of our partners!

Can biomarkers and personalised care end years of trial and error for people with #rheumatoidarthritis? The EU-funded SQUEEZE project, coordinated by @danielaletaha.bsky.social​ from #MedUniVienna aims to optimise existing therapies and bring more patients into remission. ⬇️ #Rheumatology

Squeezing more from arthritis drugs to help patients live better

Find out more!

projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu

Peter Mandl reframes the synovium as a “synovial interface” where biology, imaging & patient perception intersect. His new perspective (doi.org/10.1016/j.aa...) challenges us to rethink how we assess inflammation beyond single measures and toward integrated monitoring. Congrats, Peter!

Thirty years go by quickly. Building something that lasts does not. We recently celebrated 30 years of university rheumatology in Austria. From history to AI, imaging and patient partnership, one thing is clear: the discipline is not standing still! @squeezeproject.bsky.social @autopix.bsky.social

Today, on #MensHealthDay, let’s raise awareness of men-biased autoimmune diseases like axial spondylarthritis, and women-biased autoimmune disease in men! www.internationalmensday.info

International Mens Day

International Men’s Day (IMD) is celebrated on 19 November every year and is marked in around 80 countries worldwide.

internationalmensday.info

Helga Lechner-Radner joined ORF’s Bewusst gesund to discuss “Leben mit Rheuma”. She highlighted that rheumatic diseases go far beyond joint pain, early diagnosis and modern therapy can truly change lives. 🎥 onepager.orf.at/bewusstgesun...

I recently shared my thoughts on Austria’s strong global role in rheumatology in my recent Schmerz Nachrichten interview, from @eular.org initiatives to digital innovation and equity in care. Grateful to all who make this collaboration possible. 🇦🇹 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Österreichs starker Footprint in der globalen Rheuma-Community - Schmerz Nachrichten

Schmerz Nachrichten -

link.springer.com

At the Dresden Symposium on Autoantibodies 2025, Daniela Sieghart presented on biomarkers for RA treatment response, highlighting EU projects @squeezeproject.bsky.social & @autopix.bsky.social. Our division drives precision medicine forward, tailoring care through innovative biomarkers.

New in Journal of Autoimmunity: our study on FAPI PET/CT in myositis-related ILD, led by Kastriot Kastrati & Peter Mandl. Findings show FAPI uptake predicts progression better than standard tools, promising step for personalized care. 📖 doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

🚀 Meet our supportive partner: @inmusc.bsky.social  #InMusc is a Spanish consultancy that helps transform ideas into impact through research and #methodology training. Their mission is to make research collaborations agile, relevant, and meaningful.

📢 New from our Division of Rheumatology: Peter Mandl on the expanding role of ultrasound in rheumatology - beyond joints to glands, vessels, lungs & muscles. Real-time, radiation-free imaging for diagnosis & management. 🎥 www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOO...

Our study on how global recruitment patterns affect placebo response in RA trials has gained broad Austrian media coverage (ORF, NÖN, SN & more). Great to see interest in how trial design impacts fair evaluation of new therapies! 🔗 science.orf.at/stories/3231...

Stärkerer Placeboeffekt bei Ärmeren

Der Placeboeffekt und die sozioökonomische Lebensrealität hängen laut Untersuchungen der Wiener MedUni zusammen. In Studien aus ärmeren Ländern reagieren die Probanden und Probandinnen stärker auf das...

science.orf.at

Two new papers from our division show that recruiting RA & PsA trial patients in less affluent regions increase placebo rates - likely from limited treatment access. Trial design must adapt. RA: doi.org/10.1016/j.ar... PsA: doi.org/10.1002/art....

Join the 9th EULAR Course on Immunology 2026, a highly interactive course focused on key immunology concepts and practical research project design. 📅 6-7 February 2026 📍Amsterdam, Netherlands 🔔Registration deadline: 2 November 2025 Register here: https://pulse.ly/nul3x4sazs #eularEDUCATION

Can we collect meaningful patient-reported outcomes in rheumatology using a smartphone app? 📱 Our latest study says YES. Check it out in RMD Open: 👉 doi.org/10.1136/rmdo...

Collecting patient-reported outcomes via the COTIDIANA smartphone app: a prospective validity study

Background Self-management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases often involves regular assessments of disease-related outcomes. In recent years, smartphone apps are used to collect electronic pat...

doi.org

‪Discover more of @danielaletaha.bsky.social‬, @meduniwien.ac.at and past ‪@eular.org‬ president's thoughts on EMJ: www.emjreviews.com/rheumatology...

Join the 8th EULAR Imaging Course 2026, an intensive, hands-on course covering key imaging techniques in rheumatology, from X-ray to MRI and ultrasound. 📅5-6 February 2026 📍Amsterdam, Netherlands 🔔Registration deadline: 2 November 2025 Register here: https://pulse.ly/5a9ni8gnzs #eularEDUCATION

📸 Behind every project is a team. During the EULAR 2025 Congress in Barcelona, we had the pleasure to meet with members of six research consortia: HIPPOCRATES, SQUEEZE, STRATA-FIT, MDR-RA, PerPrev-CID, and AutoPiX. 👉 Interested in partnering with us? Learn more here: https://pulse.ly/58wj8jwuui

🚀Join us on our #EULAR and #EMEUNET Webinar: "Gender-specific differences in rheumatic diseases" 💻Wednesday, 13 Aug 2025, 18:00-18:45 CEST Register here👉https://pulse.ly/lqp4vkeeod #eularEMEUNET #Rheumatology

Can women with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases pass on robust immunity to their babies? Turns out - yes. 👶🛡️ Proud to share our latest collaborative study on maternal antibody transfer in the Journal of Autoimmunity: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

At KinderUni 2025, our division of Rheumatology @meduniwien.ac.at explored the fascinating world of autoimmunity with Vienna’s youngest scientists. Huge thanks to our amazing team for inspiring future researchers! 👉 kinderuni-anmeldung.at/event.php?ev...

Idiopathic #inflammatorymyopathies are rare #autoimmunediseases in which the #immunesystem attacks the body's own #musclecells. A team from #MedUniVienna has systematically described the safety and efficacy of targeted #immunotherapy in refractory idiopathic inflammatory #myopathies. ⬇️

New treatment option investigated for difficult-to-treat muscle inflammation

Details on the results of the retrospective observational study!

meduniwien.ac.at

New review in Joint Bone Spine co-authored by our team highlights ultrasound's expanding role from joints to organ involvement in rheumatic diseases. Read more 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Ultrasound in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: From musculoskeletal to organ involvement

In last two decades, the use of ultrasound has assumed an increasingly important role in the assessment of almost all rheumatic and musculoskeletal di…

sciencedirect.com