Magdalena Kegel,  —

The Scleroderma Education Project recently released guidelines for patients and doctors wishing to know more about therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) as a treatment option for limited scleroderma. The guidelines are designed to facilitate data collection to support the launch of a randomized clinical trial, and follow the same setup as…

A woman with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with the chemotherapy drug Xeloda (capecitabine) developed diffuse scleroderma — a condition never before linked to the use of this particular cancer drug. The study, “Scleroderma in a Patient on Capecitabine: Is this a Variant of Hand-Foot Syndrome?,” published in the…

A study showed the effectiveness of hydrogen sulfide in a mouse model of scleroderma, and researchers in China suggest that the compound should be explored as a potential treatment for patients. The study, “The protective effect of hydrogen sulfide on systemic sclerosis associated skin and lung fibrosis in mice model,” published…

Scleroderma patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) benefit equally well from treatment with Adempas (riociguat) as PAH patients with other types of connective tissue disease (PAH-CTD), according to research from the University of Paris-Saclay in France. The study, “Riociguat for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension…

A direct comparison of Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide) and Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) showed that the drugs are equally effective in stabilizing, and even improving, lung function in scleroderma patients with lung fibrosis. Since Cytoxan might be more toxic when used for extended periods, the study, “Cyclophosphamide versus mycophenolate mofetil…

A case study, describing the successful treatment of a scleroderma patient with repeated therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for more than 22 years, presents an alternative theory about the beneficial effects of the treatment and the disease itself. The study “Successful long-term (22 Year) treatment of limited scleroderma…

Iloprost (brand name, Ventavis) in combination with bosentan (Tracleer) can improve blood flow in microscopic vessels called capillaries in the hands and feet of patients with systemic sclerosis, where poor capillary function often gives rise to Raynaud’s phenomenon. The study, “Effect of treatment with iloprost with or without bosentan on nailfold videocapillaroscopic alterations…

The pharmaceutical company iBio, which focuses on the clinical development of drugs for systemic sclerosis and other fibrotic diseases, was recently issued a U.S. patent protecting the company’s drug development attempts using endostatin-related peptides for the treatment of fibrosis. According to a press release, the patent, US 9,365,616, titled…

Low levels of female sex hormones called estrogens might drive disease processes leading to skin fibrosis in scleroderma, according to a recent study evaluating the effect of estrogen on fibrosis in mice. The findings indicate that estrogen therapy might be used to harness fibrotic processes in women — an idea…

An easy-to-install heart monitor detects potentially deadly heart arrhythmias in patients with scleroderma without any known heart disease, according to a study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016), June 8-11 in London. The study underscores the need to identify patients at risk for heart disease to offer…