25 September 2018
The Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at the PReS congress in Lisbon, Portugal. A new PReS mission was launched, highlighting that PReS is principally dedicated to advance the care and improve the health and well-being of children and young people with rheumatic conditions. The PReS mission is underpinned by three pillars focusing on achieving excellence in clinical care, training/education and science/research, with the child and young person placed at the centre of all initiatives.
The meeting also included the launch of new working parties (WPs); 'PreS Working Parties 2.0', following a meeting with PreS President Professors Berent Prakken, and members of the PreS Executive Council (Professor Michael Beresford (secretary) and Professor Angelo Ravelli (treasurer).
The reformed WPs will commit to contribute to and advance the goals of the PreS Mission detailed above, and will foster excellence in the three “PreS pillars”, clinical care, science and research, and training and education. Over the next 12 months they plan to define their specific aims, objectives, and a timeline for each of these pillars. Some WPs have chosen to re-define the WP Chair, Secretary roles, and to create new roles leading upon each of the three pillars. Each WP will also plan how they will proactively engage with the young PReS EMERGE group (EMErging RheumatoloGists and rEsearchers) in a demonstrable way.
The PReS 2018 scientific programme committee was led by Professor Fabrizio de Benedetti from Rome, with talks to appeal to everyone. Like in previous congresses, there was a clinical practice track, a basic and translational track with integration of ENCA in the program. The plenary sessions brought together excellent speakers, from Europe, North America, South America and Asia, covering topics such as updates in JIA management, new tools and omics, pain and fatigue, JDM, cell and anti-cell therapies, novel therapeutic targets, ERN-RITA, clinical trials and drug development, autoinflammation, epigenetics in inflammation and autoimmunity.
The congress ended with an outstanding session looking forward to the next 25 years of Paediatric Rheumatology, focusing on recent clinically relevant advances, next steps for research, and ‘EMERGING to the future’ where we heard the vision of young colleagues for the future of paediatric rheumatology.