News

Researchers at Oslo University Hospital – Rikshospitalet and the University of Oslo in Norway recently published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology the finding that high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging can be used as a predictor of lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis. The…

Patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SS), also known as scleroderma, have the highest risk of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to PH expert Harrison Farber, MD who recently presented his findings at the American College of Rheumatology State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. Farber presented data showing that 60% of patients with PAH are…

Fibrocell Science, Inc., an autologous gene and cell therapy firm developing first-in-class treatments to address scleroderma and connective tissue-related diseases, recently announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded a rare pediatric disease designation for FCX-007. This is the Fibrocell’s main orphan gene-therapy drug candidate to treat recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa…

The Strategic Pharma-Academic Research Consortium for Translational Medicine has announced it is providing new grants that will support research into autoimmune diseases worth $1.9 million in total. The consortium is led by the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and is offering financial support for research projects involving scleroderma, dermatomyositis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Other…

New York based iBio, Inc. a biotech firm specializing in plant-based biotechnology for developing and manufacturing biological products and offering pharmaceutical product applications using its iBioLaunch platform, recently announced a new patent to aid in their development of a novel IPF therapy. The iBioLaunch gene expression platform is a…

Fibrocell Science, Inc., a company focused on autologous cell and gene therapy that is developing top treatments to address rare and life-threatening skin and connective tissue illnesses, has announced that it will report its first quarter 2015 results next Friday, May 8, 2015. The report will be made available to the public before the United States financial markets…

Researchers in Saudi Arabia at King Fahd Hospital of the University and the University of Dammam reported a case of a male patient with scleroderma who was diagnosed with an acute rare condition called central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The study was published in the…

A new study recently published in the journal Science revealed that a specific skin cell type is associated to wound healing and scarring in mice. The study is entitled “Identification and isolation of a dermal lineage with intrinsic fibrogenic potential” and was conducted by…

Accurately determining functional impairment of the respiratory system of scleroderma patients is essential to helping their recovery from symptoms. It is especially important to scleroderma patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with their scleroderma, as their lung function is typically much worse than unaffected scleroderma patients.

Fatigue defined as “profound,” “debilitating,” and “preventing autoimmune disease (AD) patients from doing routine tasks. Fatigue affects patients’ mental and emotional well-being and their ability to work. And while most patients with autoimmune disease often discussed their fatigue with their physicians, many have not been prescribed treatment for the symptom. These were…