On September 28-29, IRB hosted the 3rd International Workshop on Ankylosing Spondylitis, bringing together leading scientists and clinicians in Bellinzona to discuss recent advances in the understanding and treatment of spondyloarthritis.
On September 28-29, 2026, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), affiliated to Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), hosted the 3rd International Workshop on Ankylosing Spondylitis: Tales of Molecules and Patients.
The one and a half-day meeting brought together scientists and medical specialists in the fields of Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, and Paediatrics from institutions across Europe and the United States to exchange perspectives on a group of chronic inflammatory diseases, that continue to pose significant challenges to the scientific community, patients and healthcare professionals.
The scientific program covered several complementary topics spanning from new clinical and therapeutic insights to different areas of basic research. These included inflammation, cytokine signalling, the role of the tissue microenvironment, the mucosal barriers and the crosstalk between the microbiota and the immune system. A dedicated session also explored the potential of CAR-T cell-based approaches in autoimmune diseases.
The workshop concluded with a session dedicated to new research directions in ankylosing spondylitis, featuring contributions from IRB Group Leaders Gea Cereghetti and Mariagrazia Uguccioni.
Prof. Uguccioni, who played a central role in shaping and supporting the workshop, closed the scientific program with a Lecture reflecting on the journey of chemokine research from basic biology to translational medicine.
Importantly, the workshop actively promoted the participation of scientists and medical doctors providing an opportunity to connect fundamental discoveries with clinical prespectives and to foster scientific exchange around a complex immune-mediated disease.
The workshop was supported by the Fondazione Ceschina and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
