Systemic sclerosis (also referred to as “Scleroderma” and abbreviated as SSc) is an abnormal immune response of the body that leads to an overproduction of collagen. This overproduction of collagen and inflammation associated with SSc can negatively affect organs like the skin, lungs, digestive tract and kidneys. However, the most visible…
Tiny pieces of damaged endothelial cells, aptly called “microparticles” due to their size, can be generated in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). These cell particulates are created from a variety of processes, but are often the result of inflammation or shear stress from blood flow in narrowed arteries. Since pulmonary arterial…
According to a news release, it was recently revealed at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, on June 2015 that the drug iloprost can mitigate Raynaud’s syndrome and prevent the development of digital ulcers. Raynaud’s syndrome is a disorder characterized by excessively reduced blood flow…
Researchers at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, in Poland, recently suggested a new potential serum biomarker for interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis patients. The study was published in the journal Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia and is titled “Serum Clara cell 16-kDa…
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is one of the most serious health problems associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Researchers have found that specific biomarkers, known as autoantibodies, are associated with an increased risk in the development of PAH in people with SSc. It is not yet known, however, whether or not these…
Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., a late stage cell therapy company developing autologous cell therapies from adipose tissue to treat a variety of medical conditions, recently announced the beginning of its U.S. phase III/pivotal STAR clinical trial in the United States that will assess the efficacy of the experimental ECCS-50 therapy. ECCS-50…
Researchers at UCL-Medical School in the United Kingdom recently reported in the journal PLoS One findings supporting a mechanism that leads to skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients. The study is entitled “Partially Evoked Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Is Associated with Increased TGFβ Signaling…
According to a news release, it was recently reported at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in June 2015 that the functional disability and fatigue associated with systemic sclerosis remains stable in patients for a period of at least three years. Systemic sclerosis is…
In a recent study published in the Journal of Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition, a team of researchers found that a short-term tailored MNT intervention can improve symptom burden and potentially the appendicular lean height in patients with systemic sclerosis involving the gastrointestinal tract. Scleroderma, or systemic…
According to a news release, it was recently demonstrated at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology on June 2015 that temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) is a common medical condition among patients with systemic sclerosis. TMJD refers to a condition characterized by pain and dysfunction…
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