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Rituximab, an immunosuppressant antibody, alleviates skin fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and was also found to be generally safe, according to a study. The study, “Outcomes of patients with systemic sclerosis treated with rituximab in contemporary practice: a prospective cohort study,” was published in the…

Epigenetic changes — chemical modifications in DNA that affect gene expression (the process by which information within a gene gives rise to a functional product) — may be involved in the development of systemic scleroderma, a study says. The findings of the study, “Integrative analysis of DNA methylation…

While finding a cure for scleroderma is serious business, the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) mixes in comedy, show business, and good food at its celebrity-filled fundraiser, ‘Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine.’ Held this year at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire on April 25, the event will be hosted by…

Men older than 50 with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) have higher levels of estradiol, an active form of estrogen, in their blood compared to healthy males, a study suggests. High estradiol levels correlated with worse survival and cardiac complications. The results suggest that estradiol is a potential therapeutic…

A simple routine blood test that measures the levels of immune cells called monocytes may help identify patients with fibrotic diseases, including systemic sclerosis, who are at risk for poorer outcomes, according to a study. The study, “Increased monocyte count…

TLY012, a lab-made equivalent of a natural protein called TRAIL, can reverse skin fibrosis in mice with scleroderma by blocking important cells involved in the underlying mechanism of skin scarring, a research study found. Targeting TRAIL pathway and this novel engineered molecule may represent a promising anti-fibrotic strategy to arrest scleroderma in…

Increased levels of specific antibodies that can attack the host’s own tissues may be an early manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) that can be detected years before clinical diagnosis. These autoantibodies may also help predict the onset of scleroderma renal crisis (SRC), a potentially life-threatening complication of the disease, a study suggests.

Progressive skin fibrosis within one year increases the risk of lung function decline and mortality in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic scleroderma (dcSSc), a large-scale observational study found. The finding suggests that skin fibrosis scoring can work as a potential surrogate marker for dcSSc severity in clinical trials and routine…

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is not associated with clinically significant exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, a condition that can promote malnutrition in patients, researchers report. Of note, exocrine refers to the part of the pancreas that functions as a gland, producing and secreting digestive enzymes. The study, “Exocrine Pancreatic Function is…

Scleroderma patients with ANCA autoantibodies have a higher prevalence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary embolism, as well as a greater mortality risk than those without these antibodies, according to new research. The study, “Significance of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in systemic sclerosis,” was…