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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…

Among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), those who have pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have a distinct pattern of active and silent genes compared with those who develop interstitial lung disease (ILD), a preliminary…

While there are significant differences in how patients with juvenile localized scleroderma (JLS) are assessed and screened in the United Kingdom, treatment approaches are consistent, a study has found. The study, “Multi-centre national audit of juvenile localised scleroderma: describing current UK practice in disease assessment and management,” was…

A new blood test measures autoantibodies called anti-vinculin, which have been found to be higher in scleroderma patients and have also been associated with gastrointestinal complications and pulmonary hypertension. The test, called sclero-smart, was developed through a partnership with the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at…

Treatment with plant-derived salvianolic acid B (SAB) reduced skin fibrosis in a mouse model of scleroderma. The findings suggest that SAB may be an effective treatment for people with scleroderma. The research, “Salvianolic acid B attenuates experimental skin fibrosis of systemic sclerosis,” was published in the…

A Phase 2a clinical trial will test the investigational therapy GLPG1690 in patients with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma. The double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2a study, called NOVESA (NCT03798366), will evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacological profile of Galapagos’ GLPG1690. It is set to enroll 30 participants with diffuse cutaneous…

IGFBP-5, a protein that appears to be involved in the early stages of fibrosis, may be a potential therapy for lung fibrosis, new preclinical research done at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) found. Using human lung fibroblasts and lung…

Cash-strapped governments across the 28-member European Union are struggling to control runaway healthcare expenditures — at exactly the same time as the promise of new but expensive therapies to treat rare diseases has never been greater. That’s the paradox faced by pharmaceutical companies as well as patient advocacy groups in…

Treatment with rituximab appears to stabilize microcirculation — blood circulation in small vessels called capillaries — in patients with long-term diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study suggests. The study, “Effects of treatment with rituximab on microcirculation in patients with long-term systemic sclerosis,” was published in BMC Research…