Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease of women.Over time, people living with scleroderma develop progressive and irreversible scarring.Scarring, called fibrosis, effects the lungs, heart and kidneys, leading to poor quality of life, disability and a reduced life expectancy.
Tag: systemic sclerosis
Targeting and blocking sCD13 protein could lead to systemic sclerosis treatment
Fibrosis, or the scaring of tissue, occurs in many diseases, and is a central component of systemic sclerosis. There are currently no treatments that can reverse fibrosis and the current treatment only has a modest effect on the course of the disease. But research is finding new targets for potential treatments.
Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease Focus of Latest Clinical Practice Guideline
In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare connective tissue disease, interstitial lung disease contributes to 35 percent of deaths. Published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the latest American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline makes a number of recommendations. One recommendation expands antifibrotic treatment to all patients with systemic sclerosis associated with ILD (SSc-ILD), not just those with progressive disease.
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Study identifies new pathway to suppressing autoimmunity
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute have uncovered new details about how the immune system prevents the production of antibodies that can recognize and damage the body’s own, healthy tissues. The study, to be published September 29 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), also reveals how this process is impaired in autoimmune disorders such as systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus and suggests potential new strategies to treat these diseases.
Scleroderma Awareness Month
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease characterized by thickening and scarring of the skin and vital organs, and the narrowing of the blood vessels which lead to poor circulation.
Artificial Intelligence Shows Potential for Accurate Assessment of Nailfold Changes in Systemic Sclerosis Patients
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence 2022, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, showed that the Vision Transformer, an open-source computer vision algorithm, could detect changes in nailfold capillaroscopy images from systemic sclerosis patients.
Researchers Develop a Risk Score to Help Detect ILD in Systemic Sclerosis Patients
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence 2022, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, described a first-of-its-kind validated tool to screen for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.
How the western diet and gut bacteria can lead to scarring, vessel damage in scleroderma
A substance produced by gut microorganisms can lead to scarring and blood vessel damage in patients with scleroderma, a new study suggests. Researchers say they will examine whether drugs or food products, like virgin olive oil, can block the formation of the compound in the gut to treat fibrosis.
Black People with Systemic Sclerosis May Have More Severe Disease, Worse Prognosis
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that Black people living with systemic sclerosis may have more severe disease and worse prognosis than patients in other racial or ethnic groups.
Platelet Inhibitors May Reduce Digital Ulcers, a Common, Painful Systemic Sclerosis Complication
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that use of platelet inhibitors could be associated with a reduction in the occurrence of digital ulcers in people with systemic sclerosis.
Potential biomarker found for lung disease in scleroderma patients
Researchers have discovered a protein that may predict disease severity for scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease, the leading cause of death for patients with the rare autoimmune condition. Higher circulating levels of the CTRP9 were associated with more severe lung disease, while low levels were associated with preserved function.
Online mental health intervention significantly helps the isolated, immunosuppressed during pandemic
People with the rare autoimmune disease scleroderma, who likely experience more serious isolation during a global pandemic, saw their anxiety and depression improve after receiving online mental health intervention through an international study. Researchers say the support program could be extended to many vulnerable patient populations moving forward.
First time in Thailand – Chula Successfully Uses Stem-cell Transplantation to Treat Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis
April 8, 2021 – The Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (CU Medi), Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society (Chulalongkorn Hospital), in collaboration with the Departments of Hematology, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Infectious diseases, held a press conference on “Thailand’s first successful treatment of systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary fibrosis by stem cell transplantation“.
Repurposing Tocilizumab in Scleroderma Patients May Prevent Early Lung Disease
A phase 3 clinical trial finds an anti-inflammatory drug used in rheumatoid arthritis can preserve lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis.
National Research Effort Discovers Relationship Between Inflammation, Metabolism and Scleroderma Scarring
Study finds NAD+ break down leads to multi organ scarring, providing now a previously undiscovered pathogenic role of the enzyme CD38 in disease scarring.