Latest News

The ISSAID Steering Committee invites ISSAID members interested in hosting the
2029 ISSAID Meeting to submit a formal proposal by 31 January 2027.
More information on the application and selection process is available here.

Join us for a webinar covering challenging cases presenting with both autoimmune and autoinflammatory features.

23. September 2026

6PM - 7PM CET Zone

Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 931 6658 5314

We write with heavy hearts to share that Dan Kastner passed away peacefully on 26 July 2026 in California, surrounded by his family. For so many of us in this field, Dan wasn't just its founding figure; he was a friend, a mentor, and often the person who first made us feel that our work truly mattered. News like this makes the world of autoinflammatory disease feel suddenly smaller.

It's easy to list Dan's achievements: the discovery of the MEFV gene, TRAPS, the concept of autoinflammatory disease itself, VEXAS, CRIA, and the many patients whose decades-long diagnostic conundrums he finally solved. But those who knew him will remember him less for the accolades and more for his kindness and genuine interest in people—patients, trainees, and junior colleagues with a half-formed idea. He had that rare gift of making everyone in the room feel that their question was the most interesting one he'd heard all day. Whether at the NIH bedside, where it all began, or on a stage accepting the Crafoord Prize, he carried the same curiosity, enthusiasm, and humility.

Many of us have our own memories of Dan: a conversation at a conference, an email he took the time to answer, or a piece of advice that shaped a career. ISSAID exists today because of the community he built and the generosity with which he nurtured it. Our thoughts are with his family, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy and our heartfelt thanks for sharing him with us for so many years. He will be profoundly missed.

Erkan Demirkaya

President of the ISSAID

On behalf of the International Society of Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases