Measuring What Matters: A Qualitative Study of the Relevance and Clinical Utility of PROMIS Surveys in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: To evaluate the relevance and clinical utility of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) surveys in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Adults with SLE receiving routine outpatient care at a tertiary care academic medical center participated in a qualitative study. Patients completed PROMIS computerized adaptive tests (CATs) in 12 selected domains and rated the relevance of each domain to their experience with SLE.

Reprogramming the Epigenome With Vitamin C.

The erasure of epigenetic modifications across the genome of somatic cells is an essential requirement during their reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Vitamin C plays a pivotal role in remodeling the epigenome by enhancing the activity of Jumonji-C domain-containing histone demethylases (JHDMs) and the ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins. By maintaining differentiation plasticity in culture, vitamin C also improves the quality of tissue specific stem cells derived from iPSCs that are highly sought after for use in regenerative medicine.