Posts by: Joana Carvalho

Joana Carvalho

Joana holds a BSc in Biology, a MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells — cells that made up the lining of blood vessels — found in the umbilical cord of newborns.

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021

Finger Sweating Tests May Help Diagnose Scleroderma

News

Tests that measure finger sweating levels may be useful diagnostic tools to help physicians identify people with scleroderma, a pilot study has found. Future studies enrolling a larger number ... Read more

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021

UK Rare Diseases Framework Opens to Improve Diagnosis, Access to Care

News

U.K. Rare Diseases Framework, a government-led approach to raising national awareness of rare disorders, accelerating diagnoses, and improving patient care and treatment, is now in practice. This framework, signed ... Read more

January 12, 2021January 12, 2021

Blood Levels of Protein Common to Lungs May Mark Progression in SSc-ILD

News

A glycoprotein called Krebs von den Lungen‐6 (KL-6), known to indicate lung inflammation, shows promise as a biomarker of lung tissue damage and likely disease progression in people with scleroderma associated ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

Osteopontin Protein May Be Cause of Lung Scarring in Scleroderma

News

Osteopontin, a protein known to play a role in tissue regeneration, immune system regulation, and bone remodeling, may be driving scarring of lung tissue in people with scleroderma associated ... Read more

December 17, 2020December 17, 2020

Scleroderma Patients at Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases, Review Finds

News

People with scleroderma are at a higher risk of developing diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels — commonly known as cardiovascular diseases — compared with those who ... Read more

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020

CellCept, Cyclophosphamide Both Improve Patient-reported Outcomes in SSc-ILD, Phase 2 Data Show

News

CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) and cyclophosphamide can both improve the health-related quality of life of people with systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease, an analysis from a Phase 2 clinical trial ... Read more

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020

Lenabasum Use Seen to Lessen Inflammation, Fibrosis in Phase 2 dcSSc Trial

News

Treatment with lenabasum is safe and leads to clinically meaningful improvements in people with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma (dcSSc), results from Phase 2 trial show. The therapy is now being ... Read more

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020

Ofev Approved in Europe for SSc-ILD Treatment in Adults

News

The European Commission has approved Ofev (nintedanib) to preserve lung function in adults with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). This decision follows the recent recommendation from the Committee ... Read more

January 8, 2020January 8, 2020

Autoantibodies Linked to Genetic and Environmental Factors in Scleroderma, Study Finds

News

Researchers have zeroed in on autoantibodies that may be linked to distinct human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and environmental factors, something that could help explain the high variability of ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 25, 2019

IFNL3 Gene Variant Linked to High Risk of PF in Scleroderma Patients, Study Finds

News

A recently discovered variant of the IFNL3 gene increases the risk of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in people with scleroderma, a study reveals. In contrast, no such link was found ... Read more