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Final Program


Schedule at a Glance
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Program: Scientific Session
General Topic: Basic Science

Stressed Out!: The Role of Cellular Stress in Autoimmune Disease

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Central Time

    Moderator(s)

  • WA

    William Ambler, MD

    NIH/NIAMS
    Bethesda, Maryland, United States

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose

  • Andras Perl, MD, PhD

    SUNY
    Syracuse, New York, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Session Coordinator(s)

  • TL

    Theresa Lu, MD, PhD

    Hospital for Special Surgery
    NEW YORK, New York, United States

    Disclosure(s): Mestag Therapeutics: Advisor or Review Panel Member (Ongoing)

Cellular stress plays a significant role in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases. This includes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress, which alter antigen presentation and cellular responses, respectively. Dr. Juan Cubillos-Ruiz discusses how ER stress alters dendritic cell function in disease, and Dr. John Harris discusses how oxidative stress contributes to and is being targeted in the autoimmune disease vitiligo.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize the role of cellular stress in autoimmunity
  • Define the role of ER stress in autoimmune responses and disease
  • Demonstrate how oxidative stress drives autoimmune disease
  • Apply an understanding of cellular stress mechanisms to autoimmunity

Presentations:

  • 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Central Time
    Chronic Activation of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Autoimmunity Is Linked to Dysregulated ER Stress and Metabolic Responses

    Speaker: Franck Barrat, PhD – Hospital for Special Surgery

  • 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Central Time
    The Role of Oxidative Stress in Autoimmune Skin Disease

    Speaker: Mehdi Rashighi, MD – UMass Chan Medical School