News

About 100 scientists, researchers, pharmaceutical executives, and others will converge on Austria’s capital city early next month for the 2nd International Congress on Advanced Treatments in Rare Diseases. The March 4-5 meeting, to take place at the Hilton Am Stadtpark Vienna, features 27 speakers on a variety of disorders…

The enzyme EZH2 is present in higher-than-normal levels in fibroblasts and endothelial cells from scleroderma patients, a study shows, and suggests blocking or inhibiting EZH2 to prevent fibrosis and restore normal blood vessel formation. The study, “Inhibition of EZH2 prevents fibrosis and restores normal angiogenesis in scleroderma,” was published…

Deregulation of the microorganisms that naturally populate the skin is associated with increased inflammation and disease duration in patients with systemic sclerosis, a study shows. The study, “Microbiome dysbiosis is associated with disease duration and increased inflammatory gene expression in systemic…

A device designed to continuously record heart rhythm showed that asymptomatic patients with scleroderma have significant arrhythmia, according to a pilot study. Findings also suggested that arrhythmia — irregular heart rhythm — is associated with fibrosis, or scarring, and the levels of cardiovascular biomarkers. The study, “…

Inhibiting the protein PU.1 has potential as a therapy to treat multiple fibrotic diseases, including systemic sclerosis, a new study contends. The study reporting that finding, “PU.1 controls fibroblast polarization and tissue fibrosis,” was published recently in the journal Nature. The PU.1 transcription factor is a central…

Scores of events are afoot worldwide to mark Feb. 28, Rare Disease Day 2019. The activities aim to raise awareness about rare diseases and the millions of people — estimates run as high as 350 million — they are thought to impact. Across countries, patients, caregivers and advocates will paint faces, wear…

Serum levels of E-selectin (sE-selectin) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) are potential prognostic markers of progression and severity in localized scleroderma, according to a recent study. The study, “The correlation between serum E-selectin levels and soluble interleukin-2 receptors with relation to disease activity in localized scleroderma” was published…

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients showed reduced skin thickness and improved lung function after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) using blood progenitor cells positive for the CD34 marker, a study reports. This finding suggests that CD34-selected autologous HSCT may have additional clinical benefits over conventional autologous HSCT. The study,…

Certain clinical characteristics that researchers suggest could be potentially useful indicators of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients were recently identified in a study. Findings indicated that longer disease duration, positive anti-Scl70 antibody titers, higher white blood cell and platelet counts, greater erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels,…

Treatment with rituximab may help improve the clinical symptoms of calcinosis — the formation of calcium deposits in the skin and muscle — of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, a small study suggests. The study, “Effectiveness and safety of rituximab for the treatment of refractory systemic sclerosis associated calcinosis: A case series…