News

Privigen — an approved therapy for a range of immune-related conditions — has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of systemic scleroderma. Orphan drug designation is given to investigational therapies with the potential to be safe and effective…

Researchers have come up with a new, patient-reported questionnaire to measure the impact of digital ulcers on hand function in people with scleroderma. The questionnaire, “Hand Disability in Systemic Sclerosis-Digital Ulcers (HDISS-DU),” was developed using patient interviews and trial data. It can be useful in evaluating the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a vast government bureaucracy, employs about 17,500 people and had a budget of $5.7 billion in 2019. Yet even with its enormous resources, the FDA these days relies more and more on patients to…

The levels of an immunosuppressive protein called human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) are significantly higher in the immune cells of people with scleroderma or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), suggesting its potential role in controlling impaired immune responses in these diseases, a study has found. However, further studies…

Restoring the levels of a protein known as CCN3 in the skin of people with scleroderma may improve the growth of new blood vessels and become a therapeutic target in this chronic disorder, a new study suggests. The study, “Decreased CCN3 in Systemic Sclerosis endothelial cells contributes…

The gleaming new Dutch headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), fronting Domenico Scarlattilaan in Amsterdam’s suburban Zuidas business district, finally opened for business last month — just over two years after the European Union decided to relocate the EMA to the Netherlands in the wake of Brexit.

Swallowing trouble in people with scleroderma is associated with lower quality of life and a higher incidence of depression, a study found. The study, “Oropharyngeal swallowing functions are impaired in patients with scleroderma,” was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. Swallowing involves both voluntary and…

Immune players known as dendritic cells play a key role in scleroderma development in the skin and may represent a new target for effective treatments, a mouse study suggests. The study, “Regulation of skin fibrosis by RALDH1-producing dermal dendritic cells via…

Localized scleroderma affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young people, causing joint and muscle pain, putting limits on physical activity, and hurting body image, a study found. Teasing from peers, unwanted questions from others, and side effects from treatment were…

Scleroderma patients who develop digital ulcers are more likely to be younger at disease onset, male, and have the diffuse type of the disease, a study has found. Digital ulcers — sores on the fingers and toes — are estimated to affect half of people with scleroderma.