Research Summary
Dr. Cappelli has started a research program to evaluate the rheumatologic adverse effects of cancer immunotherapy. New agents, called immune checkpoint inhibitors, work to boost patients’ own immune systems to fight their cancer, leading to great advances in treatment. However, they can also lead to adverse events as a result of their mechanism of action. Rheumatologists are seeing patients with inflammatory arthritis, immune-mediated dry mouth and dry eyes, myositis, vasculitis and other adverse events due to cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Cappelli is investigating several different aspects of these adverse events including the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, impact on patients, and the biologic mechanisms. Her work involves collaborations with oncologists and laboratory investigators in rheumatology and oncology. Through this research, guidelines for evaluation and management of adverse events can be developed and those at greatest risk for adverse events may be identified.
Dr. Cappelli also has a research interest in rheumatoid arthritis. She focuses on the use of autoantibodies as biomarkers and on patients with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.
Selected Publications
Cappelli LC, Gutierrez AK, Baer AN, Albayda J, Manno RL, Haque U, Lipson EJ, Bleich KB, Shah AA, Naidoo J, Brahmer JR, Le D, Bingham CO 3rd. Inflammatory arthritis and sicca syndrome induced by nivolumab and ipilimumab. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017 Jan;76(1):43-50. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209595. PMID: 27890174
Cappelli LC, Gutierrez AK, Bingham CO 3rd, Shah AA. Rheumatic and musculoskeletal immune-related adverse events due to immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review of the literature. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 Dec 20. doi: 10.1002/acr.23177. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27998041
Cappelli LC, Shah AA, Bingham CO 3rd. Immune-Related Adverse Effects of Cancer Immunotherapy- Implications for Rheumatology. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;43(1):65-78. doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2016.09.007. PMID: 27890174
Cappelli LC, Shah AA, Bingham CO 3rd. Cancer immunotherapy-induced rheumatic diseases emerge as new clinical entities. RMD Open. 2016 Sep 28;2(2):e000321. PMID:27752360
Cappelli, L and Wigley, F. Management of Raynaud's Phenomenon and Digital Ulcers. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2015 Aug;41(3):419-38.
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