News

CAN10, — Cantargia’s experimental therapy for scleroderma and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle — appears safe and effective at reducing inflammation and myocarditis in preclinical studies. The findings support plans to develop CAN10 for the treatment of these two conditions. “With preclinical proof of concept in…

Oral treatment with C21 restored hand temperature by improving blood flow  in people with Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to scleroderma, top-line data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show. “The results of the phase II study show that C21 can directly increase blood flow in fibrotic tissue,” Carl-Johan Dalsgaard,…

People with scleroderma have abnormal levels of several fatty molecules and their body’s ability to remove excess cholesterol is lower when compared with healthy peers, according to a recent study. This impaired ability to remove excess cholesterol may contribute to an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis and…

Having lung involvement increases the risk of in-hospital mortality, the length of hospital stays, and the costs related to hospitalization in people with scleroderma, a study of U.S.-based data finds. The study, “Lung involvement in systemic sclerosis is associated with adverse hospital outcomes: insights from the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Actemra (tocilizumab) to slow lung function decline in adults with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). “We are honored to offer the very first FDA-approved biologic treatment option to…

Many diseases have their own awareness color — breast cancer is pink, muscular dystrophy is green, and AIDS is red, for example — but what’s the significance of pink, green, blue, and purple lights side-by-side? These are the colors most often used to represent Rare Disease Day. This…

A stem cell transplant can lessen skin thickness and improve lung function in people with scleroderma, a longitudinal study found. These findings are in agreement with previous reports, its researchers state, and they support the use of stem cell transplants as a treatment option for patients with severe and…

An elderly woman with scleroderma limited to her skin also developed the autoimmune disorder ANCA‐associated vasculitis (AAV), which led to nerve damage in her lower limbs, a case study described.  The researchers recommended that patients with scleroderma who experience tingling…

Diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a 6-month-old, Tristan Lee has faced a lot of challenges over his 37 years of life. But from a young age, he also learned how to turn those trials into triumphs. At age 9, a stroke due to his disease left him paralyzed…

Although not a distinctive symptom of scleroderma, lower back pain is a major contributor to the chronic pain felt by people in the earliest disease stages, a study based on a patient viewpoints reported. Physicians should pay more attention to lower back pain and other non-specific symptoms of scleroderma,…