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Various immune-related genes are not equally as active in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) as they are in healthy individuals, and they may be candidate biomarkers for diagnosis, a study suggests. Researchers also found that two of these genes, called TNFSF13B and TYROBP, may tell how well people 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,…

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…

Blood levels of the periostin protein were associated with the degree of skin and cardiac involvement, but not lung or blood vessel involvement, in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study found. Levels of the protein also were higher in patients with diffuse forms of SSc, those living with…

People with systemic scleroderma (SSc) who test positive for cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies are more likely than those who test negative to develop interstitial lung disease (ILD) — when the lungs become scarred — and have worse lung function. That’s according to data from a South Korean study…

The levels of a small RNA molecule called microRNA-27a, or miR-27a, are significantly lower in the blood of women with systemic sclerosis (SSc) compared with healthy women, a study shows. Thus, “MiR-27a could serve as a reliable diagnostic marker for SSc,” researchers wrote, adding that the molecule “could be…

In a real-world study, the systemic sclerosis (SSc) medication RoActemra (tocilizumab) failed to significantly lessen skin and lung scarring compared with standard of care treatment. RoActemra, an approved immunosuppressant therapy for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), showed no statistically significant differences in efficacy in treating patients in this…

Sarcopenia, or a loss of muscle mass and strength, occurs in nearly one-quarter of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and is linked to a low body mass index (BMI) and high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), according to a new study in Thailand. Patients with a low BMI —…

Fibroblasts from the skin of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) can get more energy from their powerhouses, the mitochondria, than healthy skin fibroblasts, a small study found. Researchers zeroed in on some of the molecules that may make for the energy surplus and were able to identify small molecules…

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, “…