Chair: Dr Marissa O'Callaghan (County Cork, Ireland)

Speakers: Dr Vivienne Kahlmann (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Dr Jonathan A. Rose (Boston, United States), Dr Gary Hunninghake (Boston, United States)

Discussants: Prof. Antoine Froidure (Bruxelles, Belgium), Dr Jannik Ruwisch (Hannover, Germany)

Fees: Free for ERS members / €10 for non-members
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Overview

Despite rapid advances in interstitial lung disease (ILD) research, clinicians still face major uncertainties in both treatment selection and early detection. The optimal first-line therapy for sarcoidosis remains debated, while early identification of fibrotic risk in asymptomatic individuals is an emerging but unmet clinical need. This webinar will address these challenges head-on by discussing two pivotal studies that reshape ILD management across the disease spectrum-from inflammatory sarcoidosis to genetic and subclinical fibrosis. Attendees will gain an evidence-based understanding of when to initiate immunosuppressive therapy, how to interpret biomarker-driven risk prediction, and how these findings might inform personalised monitoring strategies. Through critical discussion with the study authors and expert panellists, the session aims to strengthen participants' ability to integrate new evidence into multidisciplinary ILD care and stimulate forward-looking research collaborations.

Educational aim:

The webinar will focus on bridging this educational gap by featuring two recent high-impact studies:

1. First-Line Treatment of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis with Prednisone or Methotrexate.
Author & Speaker: Dr Vivienne Kahlmann
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2025; 393:231-242)
Summary: This landmark randomised trial directly compares methotrexate versus prednisone as first-line therapy for pulmonary sarcoidosis, providing robust evidence on efficacy, tolerability, and relapse risk. The findings challenge long-held corticosteroid paradigms and may redefine early management strategies for this complex inflammatory disease.

2. Protein Biomarkers of Interstitial Lung Abnormalities in Relatives of Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis
Author & Speaker: Dr Jonathan Rose, Dr Gary Hunninghake
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2025; 65:2401349)
Summary: This study identifies circulating protein biomarkers associated with subclinical interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) in individuals with a family history of pulmonary fibrosis. It highlights biomarker signatures linked to early disease susceptibility, offering a potential path towards risk stratification and preventive intervention.

Topics:

• Rationale, design and outcomes of the sarcoidosis trial (prednisone vs methotrexate).
• Biomarker discovery and validation in interstitial lung abnormalities
• Methodological insights
• Clinical implications
• Practice translation
• Research gaps / next-steps

Format

One-hour webinar structured as follows:

1. Welcome and introduction (5 min)
   Chair: Marissa O'Callaghan introduces the topic, speakers, and the educational objectives.
2. Presentation 1 (15 min)
   Speaker: Dr Vivienne Kahlmann - Prednisone vs Methotrexate as First-Line Therapy in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis.
3. Presentation 2 (15 min)
   Speakers: Dr Jonathan Rose, Dr. Gary Hunninghake - Protein Biomarkers in Interstitial Lung Abnormalities and Familial Fibrosis.
4. Panellist discussion (15 min)
   Panellists: Prof Antoine Froidure and Dr Jannik Ruwisch - engage both authors with targeted questions on study design, interpretation, and clinical translation.
5. Audience Q&A and wrap-up (10 min)
   Moderated by Chair Marissa O'Callaghan, summarising take-home messages and future implications.

Learning outcomes

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Compare efficacy and safety of methotrexate versus prednisone for pulmonary sarcoidosis.
• Interpret protein biomarkers predictive of early interstitial lung abnormalities.
• Integrate new evidence into patient-tailored ILD management strategies.
• Recognise research gaps in precision and preventative approaches to fibrosis.

CME credit

An application for accreditation of this webinar has been made to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for 1 CME credit per 1-hour attendance. If accredited, the CME credit will be granted upon attendance of at least 60 minutes during the live webinar only.

What is a webinar?

A webinar closely simulates a lecture-based teaching experience. The speaker can interact with the audience, just as in a classroom setting. During the webinar, you will be asked to share your opinion on issues related to the topic using interactive polls.

All participants will be able to hear the lecturer and see the slides throughout the presentation. As a participant you will be able to pose questions or discuss ideas with the other participants via the text chat facility and the speaker will respond to the questions via the microphone.

Login guidelines

More information will be communicated in due course.

• Please log in to the webinar 20 minutes before it is scheduled to commence. If you have any technical difficulties whilst trying to log in or during the session please contact e-learning@ersnet.org.
• Check Central European Summer Time.
• To achieve the best quality, we recommend to avoid downloading anything from the internet during your connection to the lecture and stopping all other programmes.
• Please also ensure that your audio settings are not set to mute and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.