Columbia Rheumatology @ ACR 2024
Each year, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) hosts its national meeting, which is called ACR Convergence. As the name implies, thousands of clinicians and researchers from across the world “converge” at one location to share the most important updates in the field, such as results from large clinical trials, teaching sessions about specific diseases and medical topics, and innovative ideas for future research and technological advances. The large convention center that houses the meeting (which is hosted by a different city each year) is always packed to the gills with excited attendees, which include medical students, residents, fellows, and rheumatologists from private practice and academic medical centers from nearly every continent. The meeting can be, at times, overwhelming: there are massive halls filled with hundreds of research posters, exhibition areas with gigantic displays from pharmaceutical and medical device companies, auditoriums that seat thousands of audience members who are eager to hear about the latest and greatest in rheumatology, and more. It is impossible to make it to every session of interest, but the meeting is always a source of stimulation and inspiration among those of us who attend.
ACR Convergence 2024 was particularly exciting for the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at Columbia University. So much of the incredible work being done at our center in research, medical education, and patient care was on display at the conference. It is a source of great pride to see one’s colleagues shining so brightly on such a big stage, and this year highlighted the work of so many from Columbia.
There were two sessions that I will not soon forget from this year’s conference. Both were led by Dr. Anca Askanase, the founder and director of the Columbia Lupus Center and a true expert on this disease. The first session was on the topic of the ACR’s new guidelines for screening, treatment, and management of lupus nephritis, which is the manifestation of disease that involves the kidneys. Glomerulonephritis is one of the most morbid complications of lupus and, if not effectively treated, can lead to the need for dialysis or even death. Dr. Askanase served as one of the lead authors on these long-awaited new guidelines, and she did not disappoint as she stood in front of a crowd of thousands of rheumatologists, all paying rapt attention to her every word. The session was incredibly well-done and provided doctors with the tools and knowledge to improve patient care.
The second session was on the subject of CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment that has only recently been borrowed from the specialty of oncology and is now being used to treat a select few patients with autoimmune conditions such as lupus, myositis, and scleroderma. The results seen in those treated with this therapy are, so far, nothing short of breathtaking: patients with the most severe, refractory forms of autoimmune diseases like lupus are seeing dramatic improvements in their condition after this one-time treatment, with years of sustained remission of disease activity, reversal of organ damage, and absence of need for any additional treatment. Along with Dr. George Tsokos from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Askanase once again impressed an audience of thousands of doctors as she explained key concepts related to this exciting therapy. I was sitting in the crowd, seated next to several fellows and faculty members from Columbia, and I think we all shared the same sense of awe and wonder in seeing our friend and colleague command the stage in such an impressive way.
With ACR Convergence 2024 in the books, our division now looks forward to all that we will learn about and share at next year’s meeting. Under the leadership of Dr. Adam Mor, a renowned physician-scientist who serves as the chief of our division, the future for Columbia Rheumatology is as bright as it has ever been.