Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Fibroblasts from the skin of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) can get more energy from their powerhouses, the mitochondria, than healthy skin fibroblasts, a small study found. Researchers zeroed in on some of the molecules that may make for the energy surplus and were able to identify small molecules…

Exposure to silica, a mineral used to make building materials, at work is associated with younger age at diagnosis, more severe disease, and reduced survival in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a study of more than 1,000 patients in Canada and Mexico. Also, those reporting on-the-job silica…

A grant of more than $400,000 has been awarded to a researcher who is searching for new ways to treat scleroderma, how the disease begins and progresses in the skin, and how it responds to treatments. The awardee is Karin Wuertz-Kozak, PhD, a professor in the biomedical engineering department…

A protein called LMCD1 is present at higher levels in the lungs of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) linked to systemic sclerosis (SSc) than in healthy individuals, and may be a candidate target for the treatment of the disease, a small study suggests. Researchers found that the…

The active ingredient of EHP-101, a cannabidiol-derived medicine being developed by Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP), can set in motion a tissue’s response to low oxygen or hypoxia, which backs its use for  treating systemic sclerosis (SSc) and multiple sclerosis (MS), a study in cells and mice found.

A protein called Thy-1 is present at higher levels in the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) than in healthy skin, and the more Thy-1, the worse the disease, a study has found. When researchers modeled the disease in lab animals, they observed that mice lacking Thy-1 had…

A ranked list of genes in the skin may provide a molecular barcode, or signature, for subtypes of systemic sclerosis (SSc) that would otherwise be missed by the usual methods of diagnosing this disease, a study reported. The finding breaks further ground toward the use of a new classification scheme…

The immunosuppressant everolimus, carried aboard droplets of fat (liposomes) to lung cells may ease scarring and inflammation linked to systemic scleroderma (SSc), a study with aged mice found. The findings provide “preclinical evidence of everolimus as an efficient drug to reduce lung fibrosis [scarring] and inflammation,” its researchers wrote.

Fewer than one in five scleroderma patients seek help from mental health services, an international study found. The patients most often turned to general practitioners as their providers of mental health care, followed by psychologists and psychiatrists. The study, “Mental health care use and associated factors in systemic…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Thermo Fisher Scientific to market its blood tests for diagnosing scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), two autoimmune diseases. “Autoimmune diseases can be a challenge to diagnose. Reliable and accurate laboratory tests that provide clinical clarity are essential…