Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

About 40% of systemic scleroderma (SSc) patients have subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (SCA), or the buildup of fatty deposits called plaques in the arteries that supply the heart without causing overt symptoms, according to a study in Italy. Data also showed that most patients who experienced a major cardiovascular event…

Baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory therapy approved to treat some forms of inflammatory arthritis, showed promising effects in a mouse model of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated lung disease. “This study demonstrates that baricitinib successfully attenuates bleomycin-induced injury and fibrosis of the skin and lung,” the researchers wrote in “Crosstalk between…

Analyzing the color of red blood cells could help predict survival outcomes among people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study shows. The study, “Hypochromic red cells as a prognostic indicator of survival among patients with systemic sclerosis screened for pulmonary hypertension,” was published in Arthritis…

People with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who have more severe digestive problems tend to have less diversity in the makeup of bacteria living in their gut, a new study reports. Certain bacterial species, including Lactobacillus — present in commercially available probiotics — are more abundant in SSc patients with more…

Epigenetic changes in immune cells from African American women with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may differ from those in patients in of European ancestry, a study reported. The finding “underscores the importance of research in patients with diverse clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, and of integrating genetic and social factors, to…

A new study shows that UVA1 phototherapy — a treatment strategy that uses specific wavelengths of ultraviolet light — may work to reduce scarring in scleroderma by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). This finding implies that activating the AhR protein may offer therapeutic benefits in the chronic autoimmune…

The case of a person with scleroderma who successfully received a lung transplant from a donor who had tested positive for COVID-19 may predict positive outcomes for other patients, according to a recent report. “To our knowledge this represents the first successful case of lung transplantation of donor lungs…

Analyzing the global genetic activity of immune cells called monocytes can identify distinct groups among people with systemic scleroderma, a new study indicates. This type of analysis “may represent a viable mechanism for identifying patients and potentially their response to therapeutics,” its researchers wrote. The study, “…

People with systemic sclerosis (SSc) show higher levels of certain antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus, which is suggestive of dormant viral infections becoming reactivated in these patients, a new study shows. The study, “Detection of Epstein–Barr virus in systemic sclerosis patients: A molecular and serological based…

The first two groups of patients have been enrolled in a Phase 2a clinical trial that’s testing the cannabidiol-derived medication EHP-101 in people with systemic scleroderma (SSc), the therapy’s developer Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP) announced. Interim results are expected next year, according to EHP. Participants are currently…