autoimmune diseases

Navigating Holiday Gatherings Amid the Pandemic With Autoimmune Disease

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many families are concerned about the holidays. I’m trying to approach the season with patience, but as someone with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), I’m also tired, frustrated, and scared. Living with this disease and taking immunosuppressants means I’m at a higher risk of becoming…

The Misery of Shingles

I noticed recently that my left eye was irritated. It felt sunburned, which seemed odd given that it’s late autumn on the west coast of Canada, which means it’s chilly and wet. It was bothering me enough that I looked in the bathroom mirror to see what the…

My Tattoo Reminds Me to Put My Right Foot Forward and Keep Moving

Tattoos have always been a form of expression. Throughout history, tattoos have been used to convey love and grief, depict religious symbols, and even serve as a form of punishment. The oldest known tattoo was found on “Iceman,” a mummified corpse who lived 5,200 years ago. The art of…

Aeterna Buys Promising Targeted Immunosuppressive Therapy Platform

Aeterna Zentaris GmbH has acquired exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize highly-specific, autoimmune modifying proteins for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The company, a subsidiary of Aeterna Zentaris, reached an agreement with Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg (JMU), in Germany, which developed the technology, called AIM Biologicals.