Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Levels of microparticles, tiny molecule-filled sacs shed from cells, were altered in the bloodstream of adults with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study reports. Elevated microparticles derived from blood-clotting platelets were associated with disease-related antibodies and longer disease duration. By contrast, lower levels of microparticles shed from endothelial cells that…

People with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who test positive for Scl-70 self-reactive antibodies are at a higher risk of major organ involvement, particularly the lungs, than those with other types of autoantibodies, a study suggested. Digestive tract involvement was associated with the presence of anti-nuclear (ANA) autoantibodies. SSc patients with…

Treatment with modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — which can differentiate into a variety of cell types — alleviated the signs of skin scarring, or fibrosis, in a scleroderma mouse model, a study showed. These MSCs, a type of adult stem cell that can modulate immune responses and suppress inflammation,…

Researchers have developed a 3D blood vessel-on-a-chip model to investigate problems with blood vessel growth in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study reported. Immune-mediated changes to blood vessels is an early and central event in SSc development and usually occurs before the onset of fibrosis — the buildup of scar…

Raynaud’s phenomenon or skin ulcer symptoms associated with scleroderma worsened in around one-third of patients after iloprost infusions were stopped for a spell at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey study of patients in Italy reported. A low density of small blood vessels predicted the worsening of symptoms…

Note: This story was updated June 14, 2023, to correct that patients receiving Ofev in the SENSCIS trial experienced a fourfold decline in lung function compared with a hypothetical group of matched healthy references, while those given Ofev declined by twofold.  People treated with Ofev (nintedanib) for interstitial lung…

An altered balance of immune B-cell subtypes was linked to skin and lung involvement in people with more severe systemic scleroderma, a study suggested. The results indicate that restoring that balance may be a novel therapeutic target in people with severe forms of the condition, the scientists noted. The…

Variants of immune-regulating human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes were associated with the risk of systemic scleroderma, subtypes of the condition, and the presence of self-reactive antibodies, a large-scale genetic analysis showed. These findings underscored the genetic contribution to the disease and support future investigations into immunological susceptibility and external…

To kick off Scleroderma Awareness Month, the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) will host a free online patient forum, Collaborating for a Cure, on June 1. The half-day forum will gather leaders from the medical and scientific community so that those who live with scleroderma, and their families and…

Fat-derived cells from adults with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma that are then injected under the skin of the hands led to clinically meaningful improvements in hand function, according to published data from the Phase 3 STAR I clinical trial. The safety and efficacy of using these cells, called adipose-derived regenerative…