Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

The specific self-reactive antibodies (autoantibodies) of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) overlap syndrome — a condition in which SSc patients have clinical signs and autoantibodies related to other connective tissue diseases — are tied to organ damage and SSc prognosis, according to a single-center study in China. Patients with…

The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) has announced the star-studded lineup for its annual Cool Comedy, Hot Cuisine fundraising event, slated to take place Oct. 29 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The event will be hosted by actor and comedian Jeff Ross, known as the “…

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who have a stem cell transplant see normalized gene activity related to immune function up to 4.5 years after the procedure. That’s according to recent data from samples in the Phase 2/3 SCOT trial (NCT00114530), wherein the potential benefits of a stem cell…

CONQUEST, a platform clinical trial launched by the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), is now enrolling people with interstitial lung disease associated with systemic scleroderma (SSc-ILD) at centers in the U.S. The study is analyzing two investigational therapies using a master protocol to compare both treatments with a…

Having scleroderma increases the risk of developing diseases affecting blood vessels of the brain or heart, known as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, a review study found. Relative to controls, the risk of stroke — caused by poor blood flow to the brain — in scleroderma patients was 64% higher,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to BLR-200, a medication that BLR Bio — a company stemming from the Helix 51 biomedical incubator at Rosalind Franklin University — is developing for scleroderma. According to Ronald Kaplan, PhD, the…

People with scleroderma who feel more socially isolated are more likely to report being dissatisfied with life, but this association is partially attenuated in those who show more resilience, according to a recent study. Resilience refers to the ability to adapt to and recover from challenging life experiences, such…

Certa Therapeutics’ FT011, an investigational oral therapy for systemic sclerosis (SSc), has been granted fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It comes following Phase 2 clinical trial data that showed that FT011 was safe and well tolerated, and led to clinically meaningful improvements…

AM1476, AnaMar’s investigational anti-fibrotic medication, has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for treating scleroderma. To get this designation, a medication must be intended to treat a life-threatening rare…

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may accelerate the development and progression of systemic sclerosis (SSc) through fibrosis (scarring), inflammation, autoantibody production, and blood vessel damage. That’s according to a study in South Korea that shows the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that’s required for the…