Magdalena Kegel,  —

Magdalena is a writer with a passion for bridging the gap between the people performing research, and those who want or need to understand it. She writes about medical science and drug discovery. She holds an MS in Pharmaceutical Bioscience and a PhD — spanning the fields of psychiatry, immunology, and neuropharmacology — from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Articles by Magdalena Kegel

In SSc Study, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Hypertension Linked to Right Ventricular Dysfunction

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) frequently develop problems in the heart’s right ventricle. A new study from the Leiden University Medical Center, in the Netherlands, found that both pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension were independently linked to the disruption of right ventricular function. Researchers know that several mechanisms might contribute to the development of…

SSc-related Pulmonary Fibrosis Linked to Macrophages in Big Data Presentation at SSc World Congress 2016

A new model, produced by analyzing 10 different systemic sclerosis (SSc) gene expression data sets, showed that pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in SSc is likely the result of an initial insult activating the interferon signaling pathway. Researchers believe that the uncovered processes might reflect fibrotic processes in all SSc-affected tissues. The research team, led by…

SSc-associated PAH Patients with Anti-U1 RNP Antibodies May Have More Favorable Outcomes

Patients with connective tissue disease or systemic sclerosis associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are positive for anti-U1 RNP antibodies have more a favorable disease prognosis than patients without these antibodies, a study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology showed. Anti-U1 RNP antibodies are autoantibodies directed at nuclear proteins. They are…

SSc-related Interstitial Lung Disease Not Linked to Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia

Analyzing data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a team led by researchers at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston showed that systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) is not genetically linked to idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. SSc-ILD has clinical and radiological similarities to idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, and…

Systemic Sclerosis Study Finds Wnt Signaling a Promising Therapeutic Target

A review into Wnt pathway signaling as a potential target for systemic sclerosis treatment is optimistic regarding the current status of research and development in the field. The review, “Canonical Wnt signaling in systemic sclerosis,“ was published in the journal Laboratory Investigation by Christina Bergmann and Jörg HW Distler from the …

Systemic Sclerosis Patients with ILD Seen to Have High Levels of Defensins in Lungs

A new study showed that systemic sclerosis patients with interstitial pneumonia (SSc-ILD) have elevated levels of defensins in their lungs. Defensins are immune molecules with antimicrobial and inflammation regulatory properties. The study, titled “Association of elevated α-defensin levels with interstitial pneumonia in patients with systemic sclerosis,“  was published in the…

LARIAT Clinical Trial Expands to Include Connective Tissue-Associated ILD

Pulmonary hypertension is a common co-morbidity of connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, occurring in up to 40 percent of patients. Texas-based Reata Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the first patient has enrolled in the LARIAT clinical trial, a study examining the therapeutics effect of bardoxolone methyl in patients with pulmonary…