Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) eases skin, muscle and digestive symptoms in people with scleroderma (SSc), particularly when used as an add-on therapy, according to a recent review study. While no improvements were seen in respiratory function, IVIG still led to stabilization of these symptoms. The findings “suggest that IVIG…

Scleroderma patients who have cancer may be treated with radiotherapy without a notable risk of skin and pulmonary worsening, a review study suggests, but around 25% of patients saw severe acute and late toxicities, that is, side effects months after radiation therapy. As such, “individualized assessment, close collaboration between…

Cells present along the walls of small blood vessels in the lungs, called pericytes, have distinct gene activity in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated pulmonary fibrosis (PF), according to a new study. Pericytes from SSc patients showed an increased expression, or activity, of genes involved in lung fibrosis (scarring), blood…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan drug status to FT011, an oral therapy candidate that Certa Therapeutics is developing for systemic sclerosis (SSc). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded the therapy a similar status last year, followed by fast track designation this year.

The first healthy volunteers have been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical study that’s evaluating MDI-2517, a small molecule candidate to treat scleroderma and interstitial lung disease (ILD), which occurs when the lungs become scarred. According to developers MDI Therapeutics, MDI-2517 is a potent blocker…

Anti-SSA self-reactive antibodies, a hallmark of Sjögren’s syndrome, are associated with a higher risk of organ involvement in people with scleroderma, including the lungs and skin, a study in Japan shows. The findings suggest “anti-SSA may be a valuable biomarker of organ involvement and skin severity in patients…

Anemia is found in almost 20% of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is associated with an almost two times higher risk of death, a French study reports. Iron deficiency was the most common reason for anemia in SSc, with older patients and those with diffuse cutaneous SSc…

Lung disease severity in scleroderma (SSc) patients may be linked to levels of immune cells known as follicular T-helper cells (Tfh cells), according to a small study. The findings “may guide the development of targeted therapies for this aspect of the disease,” the researchers wrote. Titled “…

Inflammatory arthritis — a condition marked by joint inflammation that causes swelling, pain, and damage — affects about one-third of people with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis (SSc), and is associated with worse health-related quality of life, or HRQoL for short, according to a new study from Australia.

Cognitive difficulties affected half of all scleroderma patients in a recent study in Italy, while malnutrition was found in more than one quarter. While no correlation was seen between cognitive impairment and malnutrition in the 100 patients involved, the presence of these complications associated with greater functional disability and…