News

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.

Women with scleroderma take longer to perform daily living tasks, especially those that require hand strength and gripping objects, such as moving things between shelves, a new study found. These findings suggest that incorporating the Glittre Activities of Daily Living test (GA-T) in clinical evaluations may help better…

Genetic testing may allow physicians to better distinguish scleroderma from its overlap syndromes and help to predict the disease’s likely course, a study reports. The study, “Whole blood gene expression profiling distinguishes systemic sclerosis-overlap syndromes from other subsets,” was published in the Journal of the European Academy…

A large-scale DNA analysis in different tissues revealed an association between scleroderma and groups of genes driving well-known inflammation pathways. This approach helps explain the complex interplay between the diverse genes associated with scleroderma development. It also shows potential to lead to targeted and effective therapies, the investigators…

A specific variant in the STAT4 gene protects people with scleroderma against the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD), a new study in patients of European descent suggests. However, more and larger studies are needed to identify the genetic risk factors that make some people with scleroderma…

Early detection of bowel perforation in scleroderma patients who are experiencing abdominal symptoms may be lifesaving, according to a case report. Researchers emphasize that it is essential clinicians be aware of the risk and possible severe consequences of bowel perforation in these patients. Effective therapies halting tissue scarring (fibrosis) are required…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an application from Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals that paves the way to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial testing EHP-101 in people with scleroderma. EHP-101 is an oral therapy based on cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main components of cannabis and…

The combination of three imaging techniques can provide a better understanding of structural and functional skin changes in the fingers, leading to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of scleroderma, a new study suggests. The study, “Combining optical coherence tomography with magnetic resonance angiography and Doppler ultrasonography for…

Researchers have zeroed in on autoantibodies that may be linked to distinct human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and environmental factors, something that could help explain the high variability of scleroderma and why some disease forms are more prevalent in African-Americans. The study, “HLA and autoantibodies define scleroderma subtypes…

Using a new stem cell-based model, researchers have discovered a molecule that can reverse tissue damage caused by inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), a study shows. The study, “Modeling Progressive Fibrosis with Pluripotent Stem Cells Identifies an Anti-fibrotic Small Molecule,” was published in Cell Reports. Fibrotic diseases,…