All Things Urticaria – Learning about urticaria with Prof. Dr. Torsten Zuberbier

In this episode of the UCARE GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network) podcast on Urticaria, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier and Prof. Hermenio Lima discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and how it may influence urticaria care, research, and patient management in the future. They discuss: 🔹 Can tools like ChatGPT help patients understand urticaria symptoms? 🔹 W...

In this episode of the UCARE GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network) podcast on Urticaria, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier and Prof. Maia Gotua discuss the role of infections in acute and chronic urticaria. They explore how infections can trigger, mimic, or worsen symptoms—and why careful clinical evaluation is key. They discuss: 🔹 How often do infections trigger acute urticaria, especially...

In this episode of  “All Things Urticaria”  — a podcast from UCARE, the Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network — Prof. Torsten Zuberbier and Prof. Ana Giménez-Arnau discuss the newly released international urticaria guidelines. Developed with contributions from more than 100 societies and hundreds of experts worldwide, these guidelines represent a major step forward in the management of chro...

In this episode of the UCARE Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network podcast on Urticaria, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier speaks with Dr. Emma Kruger from Cape Town, South Africa, about managing urticaria in real-world clinical settings with varying access to therapies. Following the UCARE conference in Mumbai, they discuss global collaboration, treatment gaps, and practical approaches in resource-l...

In this episode of the Urticaria podcast series, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier speaks with Reineke Soegiharto, PhD candidate and dermatology resident from UMC Utrecht, about the international UCARE study DRUSO-CU, which investigated the drug survival of omalizumab in chronic urticaria. They discuss: 🔹 What does “drug survival” mean and why is it a meaningful real-world outcome measure? 🔹 How long do p...

In this episode of the GA²LEN Urticaria Podcast, Professor Torsten Zuberbier is joined by Professor Simon Francis Thomsen from Denmark to introduce an exciting new global initiative within the UCARE network: WOW – Wheals and Angioedema of the World.  The WOW project aims to create a worldwide, representative online image repository of urticaria and angioedema across all skin types, ethnicities, an...

In this short, conference-based episode, Professor Torsten Zuberbier, President of Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network, speaks with Professor Kiran Godse from Mumbai, India, directly from the UCARE Urticaria Conference, sharing the latest breakthroughs in urticaria research and treatment.  The discuss:  🔹 What are the most important new developments in urticaria therapy?  🔹 How do BTK i...

In this episode of the GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network) Podcast on Everything Urticaria, Professor Torsten Zuberbier talks with Dr. Karsten Weller, a leading expert and developer of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), about how these tools are transforming the management of urticaria and angioedema in both research and daily care.  The discuss:  🔹 What are PROMs and wh...

In this episode of the GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network) Podcast on Everything Urticaria, Professor Torsten Zuberbier speaks with Professor Michihiro Hide from Hiroshima, Japan — a pioneer in urticaria research — about an unexpected connection between dermatology and mathematics.     The discuss:  🔹 Why do urticaria wheals form distinct shapes — round, annular, or geographic? ...

In this episode, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier (Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network President) welcomes Prof. Petra Staubach, urticaria expert from Germany, to talk about Urticaria Day (UDAY) — held each year on October 1st — and why awareness is just as important as science.  They discuss: 🔹 Why do we need a dedicated awareness day for urticaria?  🔹 What is the true burden of urticaria on pa...

In this episode, Sophia Neisinger welcomes Dr. Melba Muñoz, head of the Chronic Inducible Urticaria Program in Berlin, to discuss symptomatic dermographism (SD), the most common form of inducible urticaria.  They discuss: 🔹 What exactly is symptomatic dermographism, and why is it so burdensome for patients?  🔹 How common is SD, and what did the latest international prevalence study reveal?  🔹 H...

In this episode, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier welcomes Dr. Larissa Brandão, pediatric allergist from the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, to talk about chronic urticaria in children — a condition that is often misunderstood and underdiagnosed.  They discuss: 🔹 When does chronic urticaria typically begin in kids?  🔹 What role do infections or allergens, play?  🔹 Which treatments are available...

In this episode, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier welcomes Prof. Gil Yosipovitch, world-renowned itch researcher and dermatologist at the University of Miami, for an in-depth discussion on the science of itch in urticaria, and why histamine isn’t the full story.  They discuss: 🔹 Why do antihistamines fail in up to 40% of urticaria patients?  🔹 What is MRGPRX2, and why is it such a promising target for fu...

In this episode, Dr. Sophia Neisinger welcomes Prof. Emek Kocatürk, leading urticaria researcher and UCARE expert from Istanbul, to explore the gender-specific aspects of chronic urticaria, with a special focus on pregnancy.  They discuss:  🔹 Why do more women than men suffer from chronic urticaria?  🔹 How does pregnancy affect urticaria symptoms and treatment response?  🔹 What medications are...

⁠In this episode, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier calls up Dr. Hanna Bonnekoh, dermatologist and researcher at Charité Berlin, to dive into the complexities of cold-induced urticaria—particularly rare and familial forms that challenge current diagnostics and treatments. ⁠ They discuss: 🔹 What makes wind-induced cold urticaria so difficult to diagnose? 🔹 How can physicians distinguish between histamine-...

In this episode, Prof. Dr. Torsten Zuberbier (GA²LEN) welcomes Dr. Sophia Neisinger to discuss CRUSE, a digital health tool for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). CRUSE is a free, globally available self-evaluation app that helps patients track their symptoms and provides valuable research data to improve urticaria care. They discuss: 📊 How CRUSE helps patients track their CSU symptoms daily....

In this episode, Prof. Torsten Zuberbier (Charité Berlin, GA²LEN) welcomes Dr. Stefan Frischbutter, senior researcher at the Institute of Allergy in Berlin, to explore the fascinating world of mast cells and urticaria. They discuss: 🔬 The critical role of mast cells in immune responses and skin conditions like urticaria. 💡 How temperature, autoantibodies, and nerves can trigger mast cell activat...

CSU expert Professor Ana Maria Giménez-Arnau joins Professor Torsten Zuberbier to discuss the past, present, and future of treatment for CSU, exploring the current treatment paradigm and new approaches on the horizon that might bring us closer to disease-modifying therapies. Disclosure statement:  AGA is or recently was a speaker and/or advisor for and/or has received research funding from Almiral...

What steps can be taken to manage solar urticaria? Professor Torsten Zuberbier and Dr Lea Kiefer examine solar urticaria, discussing the role of skin type, management strategies, and treatment methods. Do you have suggestions for future episodes?  Please provide feedback and offer your suggestions for future topics and expert selection here. Feedback form ATU:  https://forms.office.com/e/m6a2uEdsU...

Professor Torsten Zuberbier welcomes Dr Luis Ensina to discuss essential information for people with urticaria, highlighting the benefits of keeping a diary before medical appointments and how using patient-reported outcome tools can help doctors understand their condition better. Do you have suggestions for future episodes?  Please provide feedback and offer your suggestions for future topics and...

Episode 101 – What were the highlights at Global Urticaria Forum (GUF) 2024? Professor Torsten Zuberbier and Dr Sophia Neisinger share their live reflections on the 7th Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network GUF event, including personal highlights, tips for junior physicians to make meaningful contributions to meetings and details on GUF 2025. Do you have suggestions for future episodes? Pl...

Episode 100 – In this special episode, recorded on Urticaria Day (UDAY), Professor Torsten Zuberbier and Dr Carolina Vera welcome CSU patient advocate Kristen Willard, who shares her story of living with urticaria. With live audience participation, this episode also delves into the cause of itch, the impact of urticaria on mental health, and novel treatments. Do you have suggestions for future epi...

Professors Torsten Zuberbier and Dave Khan share their experiences and approaches to treating people with refractory CSU, noting the importance of ensuring a correct diagnosis and following guideline recommendations. Do you have suggestions for future episodes? Please provide feedback and offer your suggestions for future topics and expert selection here. Access additional resources by signing up...

“It stops my daily life as I know it.” Patient advocate with CSU Kristen Willard joins Professor Torsten Zuberbier to reflect on navigating life with CSU, including the impact on quality of life, potential triggers and the uncertainty around the disease. Do you have suggestions for future episodes? Please provide feedback and offer your suggestions for future topics and expert selection here. Acce...

This episode was recorded before 31 July 2024. Professor Marcus Maurer, Dr Carolina Vera Ayala, and Associate Professor Jonny Peter discuss how new therapeutics progress through the development pipeline, noting the “huge amount of data” required on safety before a molecule enters clinical trials. They also shed light on drug repurposing and why children are a “critical group” for inclusion in tria...