What rheumatology is researching now
The topics gaining the most ground, ranked by the PubDaily Trend Score: new research, stronger evidence, new trials and new guidelines. 291 topics in 22 specialties, updated 18 Oct 2026.
Monthly reportThe fastest-rising topics in medicine: October 2026Read →CAR-T for autoimmune disease
CAR-T cell therapy for lupus, systemic sclerosis and myositis.
New lupus treatments
Anifrolumab, belimumab and other targeted drugs in systemic lupus.
Key point: Biologics have been increasingly incorporated into the treatment algorithm at earlier stages of SLE and are first-line treatments for certain manifestations such as lupus nephritis.
Rheumatic immune-related adverse events
Arthritis, myositis and other rheumatic side effects of checkpoint inhibitors.
Ultrasound in rheumatology
Musculoskeletal and vascular ultrasound for diagnosis and monitoring.
Lung disease in systemic sclerosis
Interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis.
Giant cell arteritis and PMR
Giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica and steroid-sparing treatment.
Key point: In PMR, interleukin-6 receptor blockers should be considered with glucocorticoids for relapsing disease and can be considered for new-onset high-risk patients.
See all 13 rheumatology topics
Every rising topic, with the papers behind it. Free for doctors.
How the Trend Score works
Four signals
Growth in new papers (35%), growth in randomised trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews (25%), new clinical trials registered (20%), and new guidelines and consensus statements (20%), each over the last 12 months against the 12 before.
A score out of 100
Each signal is ranked against every topic we follow, so a score of 90 means the topic is ahead of about 90% of them. Rising fast: 80 and above. Rising: 55 to 79. Emerging: fewer than 100 papers the year before, too few to rank.
What it does not tell you
More research on a topic is not evidence that a treatment works. Open a topic to read the papers and guidelines themselves. Counts come from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov.