Fibroblasts, Synovial Archives - ACR Meeting Abstracts

Abstract Number: 1928 • ACR Convergence 2026
Spatial and Functional Characterization of SPP1+ Macrophages in Pre-RA and RA Synovium
Megan Hanlon¹, Raghav Sharma¹, Ursula Fearon², Kevin Wei³ and Ellen Gravallese⁴ Affiliations: ¹Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ²Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, ³Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ⁴Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA
Background/Purpose: We have reported an enrichment of secreted phosphoprotein-1 synovial tissue macrophages (SPP1+ STM) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium compared to control, correlating significantly with…
Abstract Number: 2016 • ACR Convergence 2026
Celastrol-Loaded Synthetic High-Density Lipoprotein Nanoparticles Preferentially Target Inflamed Synovial Macrophages and Attenuate Zymosan-Induced Arthritis
Daniel McDougle¹, April Kim¹, Anna Schwendeman¹, David Fox² and James Moon¹ Affiliations: ¹University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, ²University of Michigan, Dexter, MI
Background/Purpose: Effective joint-targeted delivery remains a critical unmet need in inflammatory arthritis. Synthetic high-density lipoprotein (sHDL) nanodiscs are nanoparticles that solubilize hydrophobic therapeutics while exploiting…
Abstract Number: 2018 • ACR Convergence 2026
Development of a Patient-Derived 3D Synovial Organoid Platform for Personalized Drug Testing in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Amber Dassen¹, Eva Philippon², Aziza Elmesmari³, Domenico Somma⁴, Lisanne van Rooijen¹, Aldo jongejan¹, Anne-Marieke van Stalborch¹, Jaap van Buul¹, Stefano Alivernini⁵, Jan Piet van Hamburg², Mariola Kurowska-Stolarska⁶ and Sander Tas² Affiliations: ¹Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, ²Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands, ³University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom, ⁴School of infection and immunity, Glasgow, United Kingdom, ⁵Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Rome, Italy, ⁶Research into Inflammatory Arthritis Centre Versus Arthritis (RACE), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Background/Purpose: To evaluate the utility of 3D synovial organoids (SOs) for therapeutic profiling in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and advance their development toward a scalable, fully…
Abstract Number: 2023 • ACR Convergence 2026
Patient-derived synovial organoids as an inflammatory driver of cartilage degeneration in in-vitro engineered human joint disease models
André N. Tiaden¹, Simone Haener-Massimi¹, Atharva Damle¹, Yasmina Bauer¹, Ulrich A. Walker², Petros Ismailidis³, Florian B. Imhoff³, Diego Kyburz³, Andrea Barbero¹ and Stavros Giaglis¹ Affiliations: ¹University of Basel / University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland, ²Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, ³University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Background/Purpose: Chronic synovial inflammation drives progressive joint destruction in degenerative and inflammatory arthropathies, with activated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and infiltrating immune cells creating a pathogenic…
Abstract Number: 0078 • ACR Convergence 2026
3D Patient-Derived Synovial Organoids (Synovioids): From Biopsy to Personalized Drug Selection in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Katerina Apostolopoulou¹, Harold Gomez², Celina Geiss³, Marine LeChelch⁴, Marija Lugar³, Alexandra Khmelevskaya⁵, Barbora Lavickova⁶, Lauriane Cabon⁶ and Caroline Ospelt⁷ Affiliations: ¹Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich and Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland, ²360 Labs, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, ³Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Zurich, Switzerland, ⁴Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Schlieren, Zurich, Switzerland, ⁵Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, ⁶Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel,, Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, ⁷University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Background/Purpose: RA exhibits significant heterogeneity in disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses, with 30-40% treatment failure rates. Traditional 2D models lack cellular complexity and fail to accurately predict individual…
Abstract Number: 2027 • ACR Convergence 2026
Spatial transcriptomics of B cell targeting T-cell engager therapy reveals extrafollicular niche collapse and a pretreatment fibrogenic-stromal signature in multidrug-resistant RA
Futoshi Iwata¹, Laura Bucci², Maria Del Mar Muñiz Moreno³, Melanie Hagen², Andreas Wirsching², Carlo Tur², Sebastian Boeltz⁴, Danae-Mona Noethling⁵, Jochen Wacker¹, Aline Bozec², Maria G. Raimondo⁶, Markus Eckstein⁷, Georg Schett⁶ and Ricardo Grieshaber-Bouyer⁴ Affiliations: ¹Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology & Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nurnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany, ²Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology & Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nurnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany, ³Department of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany, ⁴Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology & Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nurnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany, ⁵Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany, ⁶Department of Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Uniklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Uniklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany, ⁷Department of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany
Background/Purpose: Deep B cell depletion via T-cell engagers (TCE) is being evaluated as a potential treatment for refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases.…
Abstract Number: 0090 • ACR Convergence 2026
Vascular Inflammation Drives Synovial Fibroblast Expansion and Remodelling In Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sandra Mills¹, Jennifer Anolik² and Hani Awad¹ Affiliations: ¹University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, ²University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
Background/Purpose: Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease driven by pathogenic crosstalk among immune, vascular, and stromal cells within the synovium. Currently, RA…
Abstract Number: 2035 • ACR Convergence 2026
FBXW11 inhibition reprograms activated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) to a non-inflammatory phenotype and suppresses inflammatory arthritis
Camilla Machado¹, Sho Sendo², Yosuke Ono³, Takaichi Okano⁴, Xiaofu Wei¹, David Gemperline⁵, Michael Chalmers⁵, Junpeng Xiao⁵, Robert Benschop⁵, Wei Wang¹, David Boyle⁶ and Gary Firestein⁷ Affiliations: ¹UCSD, San Diego, CA, ²Kobe University Hospital, Kobe city, Hyogo, Japan, ³UCSD, Chuo City, Japan, ⁴kobe university hospital, Kobe, Japan, ⁵Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, ⁶UCSD, La Jolla, CA, ⁷University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
Background/Purpose: Neddylation is a key cellular regulatory mechanism that targets proteins for degradation. This process is aberrant in RA FLS due to deficient expression of…
Abstract Number: 0091 • ACR Convergence 2026
Vascularized Synovium-on-a-Chip – a Patient-Derived Rheumatoid Arthritis Model that Mimics Disease, Biological Heterogeneity, and Actual Treatment Response
Theresa Wampler Muskardin¹, Ruiqi Chen², Yeji Lee³, Carolyn Harris³, Andrra Nimoni³, Christele Felix³, Hattie Heiland³, Romy Kallas³, Daniel Ramirez⁴, David Mayman³, Timothy Niewold³ and Weiqiang Chen⁵ Affiliations: ¹Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, ²New York University, New York City, ³Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, ⁴Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, ⁵New York University, New York
Background/Purpose: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), reasons for treatment resistance and strategies that would be more effective in treatment-resistant patients remain unknown. Accurate models to study…
Abstract Number: 2050 • ACR Convergence 2026
Distinct lining fibroblast states define healthy and osteoarthritic human synovium
Alexandra Damerau¹, Marika Berntien¹, Max Cowan², Stephan Oehme³, Tazio Maleitzke⁴, Tobias Winkler⁵, Timo Gaber⁶, Mark Coles², Christopher Buckley² and Frank Buttgereit⁷ Affiliations: ¹Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Berlin, Germany, ²Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, ³Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Berlin, Germany, ⁴Copenhagen University Hospital, Trauma Orthopaedic Research Copenhagen Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark, ⁵Medical University Vienna, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Vienna, Austria, ⁶Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Berlin, Germany, ⁷Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Dept. of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Background/Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a whole-joint disease in which the synovium contributes to inflammation, pain, and structural joint remodeling. Synovial fibroblasts are central regulators of…
Abstract Number: 0092 • ACR Convergence 2026
β-Dominant Type I Interferon Stimulation Produces Coordinated TYK2/MX1/STAT2/PKR/MCSF Signaling in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocyte and Macrophage Cocultures, Implicating Distinct Chronic Inflammation in Patients with High Circulating IFN-β/α Activity
Jod Prado¹, Carolyn Harris², Timothy Niewold² and Theresa Wampler Muskardin³ Affiliations: ¹Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, ²Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, ³Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
Background/Purpose: Despite advances in therapy including biologic and targeted synthetic treatments, up to 40% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients fail to achieve adequate response to…
Abstract Number: 2055 • ACR Convergence 2026
Targeting the Progesterone Receptor as a Regulator of ECM Remodeling and Fibrosis in Osteoarthritis.
Paramvir Kaur¹, Nabangshu Das¹, Evan Pollock-Tahiri¹, Behdad Ravarian¹, Kabriya Thavaratnam¹, Shabana Vohra¹, Keemo Delos Santos¹, Katrina Hueniken², Tatjana Pejic³, Jason S. Rockel¹, Roman Krawetz³, Rajiv Gandhi⁴ and Mohit Kapoor¹ Affiliations: ¹UHN, Toronto, Canada, ²Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, ³University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada, ⁴University of Calgary, Toronto, Canada
Background/Purpose: Synovial inflammation and fibrosis contribute to joint pain and degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). Our previous studies suggest that the progesterone receptor (PGR) in synovial…
Abstract Number: 0097 • ACR Convergence 2026
Fibrin deposits and SPP1hi macrophages mark active tissue remodeling niches from early to established RA
Ian Mantel¹, Annabelle Small², Yakir Reshef³, Melanie Smith¹, Edward Dicarlo⁴, Brendan Boyce⁵, Michael Clay⁶, Lakshay Sood⁷, Philip Blazar⁸, David Boyle⁹, Mary Buchanan¹⁰, Yoshimi Endo⁴, Melissa Griffith¹¹, Paul Hsu¹², Laith Jazrawi¹³, Susan Lee⁹, Ogonna Nwawka¹⁴, Meghan Sahr¹, Darren Tabechian¹⁵, Nida Meednu⁵, Tyler Cavin¹⁶, Angelica Cornelison¹⁶, Caleb Marlin¹⁷, Accelerating Medicines Partnership: Autoimmune & Immune Mediated Diseases consortium¹⁸, Joan Bathon¹⁹, Rebecca Blank¹³, S. Louis Bridges, Jr.²⁰, Andrew Filer²¹, Gary Firestein²², Ellen Gravallese²³, Michael Holers²⁴, Katherine Liao²⁵, Kenneth Saag²⁶, Susan Goodman¹, Michael Brenner²⁷, Ranjeny Thomas²⁸, Kevin Wei²⁹, Soumya Raychaduhuri³, Larry Moreland³⁰, Jennifer Anolik³¹, Mihir Wechalekar³² and Laura Donlin¹ Affiliations: ¹Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, ²Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia, ³Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, ⁴Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, ⁵University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, ⁶Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, ⁷Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, ⁸Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ⁹University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, ¹⁰University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, ¹¹University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, ¹²University of California San Diego, San Diego, ¹³NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, ¹⁴Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, ¹⁵University of Rochester Medicine, Rochester, ¹⁶University of Rochester, Rochester, ¹⁷Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, ¹⁸University of Colorado and Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Aurora, CO, ¹⁹Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, ²⁰Self, Birmingham, AL, ²¹The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, ²²University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, ²³Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA, ²⁴University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, ²⁵Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ²⁶The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, ²⁷Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ²⁸University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, ²⁹Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, ³⁰University of Colorado, Denver, CO, ³¹University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, ³²Rheumatology Synovial Tissue Translational Research Group, Flinders University, and Rheumatology Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Background/Purpose: Chronic inflammation frequently drives tissue remodeling, where fibrin accumulation is common. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), excessive fibrin deposits in synovial tissue associate with clinical…
Abstract Number: 2399 • ACR Convergence 2026
Extracellular matrix biomarkers reveal differential effects of anti-inflammatory therapies on tissue destruction and fibrogenesis across immune-mediated disease
Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen¹, Dovile Sinkeviciute¹, Signe Holm Nielsen¹, Morten Karsdal¹, Joachim Mortensen¹ and Christian Thudium² Affiliations: ¹Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark, ²Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Hovedstaden, Denmark
Background/Purpose: A substantial proportion of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases exhibit a pronounced fibrotic pathotype, which may limit optimal response to currently available anti-inflammatory therapies…
Abstract Number: 0113 • ACR Convergence 2026
Interferon-γ Activates the GBP5-TSG6 Axis and Modulates Interleukin-1β-Induced Inflammatory Signaling Responses in Osteoarthritis Synovial Fibroblasts
Yiyu Xiao¹, Mahamudul Haque² and Salahuddin Ahmed³ Affiliations: ¹Washington State University, Spokane, WA, ²Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, Spokane, WA, ³Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA
Background/Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage destruction with limited disease-modifying treatment options. OA synovial fibroblasts (OASFs) contribute to disease…

Abstracts tagged "Fibroblasts, Synovial"