Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) helped resolve watermelon stomach in five people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), researchers in Israel report. Watermelon stomach occurs when the lining of the stomach bleeds. Having watermelon stomach, or gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), could be a reason for an SSc patient to…

In people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), organic solvent exposure — common among workers in industry — is more likely to be found among men and is associated with more severe disease symptoms, according to a new study. Such symptoms primarily included gastrointestinal (GI) and kidney or renal problems. “This…

Having a higher level of education or being married may mean fewer symptoms of depression for people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a systematic review of multiple studies. Researchers also observed that lung involvement, breathing problems, and tender joints were linked to more symptoms of depression, but…

About half of the people with suspected very early systemic sclerosis (SSc) may go on to develop definite disease, and those who test positive for anti-topoisomerase antibodies (ATAs) are more likely experience faster disease progression. That’s according to a study from the Netherlands where the proportion of people who…

aTyr Pharma plans to test efzofitimod, its lead candidate for treating interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc), in a Phase 2 clinical study this year in the U.S. The plans come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared an investigational new drug…

Talaris Therapeutics plans to continue to recruit people with rapidly progressing diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) at risk for organ failure into FREEDOM-3, a Phase 2 clinical study of its investigational cell therapy FCR001. That’s in spite of the company’s decision to put a stop to its…

Monitoring the progression of subclinical heart disease with MRI scans suggested that abnormalities remain largely stable over time in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and such routine imaging may be of “minimal value”  to most patients, a small study reported. The study, “Subclinical Systemic Sclerosis Primary Heart Involvement by…

The protein ADAR1 occurs in great amounts in macrophages, a type of immune cell that appears in the early stages of systemic sclerosis (SSc), making the cells more active and stirring up a “turmoil” of inflammation, a mouse study found. Researchers also observed that mice in which the disease…

Various immune-related genes are not equally as active in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) as they are in healthy individuals, and they may be candidate biomarkers for diagnosis, a study suggests. Researchers also found that two of these genes, called TNFSF13B and TYROBP, may tell how well people with…

People with systemic scleroderma (SSc) who test positive for cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies are more likely than those who test negative to develop interstitial lung disease (ILD) — when the lungs become scarred — and have worse lung function. That’s according to data from a South Korean study…