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Factors in the innate immune system, as well as those in the extracellular matrix surrounding cells, are likely involved in the development of lung fibrosis in scleroderma patients, researchers suggest after linking gene mutations to the condition. Since risk factors for scleroderma typically belong to other parts of the immune system, these…

A therapy used to prevent organ rejection in patients who have a kidney, liver, or heart transplant can help people with scleroderma-associated lung disease, a study suggests. That treatment, Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil), slowed lung function decline, according to a comparison of the results of two clinical trials. Cellcept’s effects were…

Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a key element that is responsible for fibrosis of many incurable and life-threatening diseases, such as scleroderma. Their finding can help develop new specific and efficient treatments to reverse tissue fibrosis processes. The finding was reported in a study titled “…

Fibrocell Science of Exton, Pa., recently started a preclinical dose-ranging study for FCX-013, an investigational drug to treat linear scleroderma. The company expects to initiate a safety study and apply for Investigational New Drug (IND) status to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2017. The design of…

A key milestone has been achieved in the development of Inventiva’s IVA337, an anti-fibrotic drug for treating systemic sclerosis (SSc), with the enrollment of the 100th patient in the Phase 2b FASST trial. The FASST trial (NCT02503644) has now 75% of subjects enrolled, and the company expects to complete…

Corbus Pharmaceuticals of Norwood, Mass., will commence a single Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Anabasum (formerly known as Resunab or JBT-101) to treat diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc). This new study — which will support a New Drug Application (NDA) — is based on guidance provided by the U.S. Food and Drug…

Blood levels of the KL-6 and SP-D proteins may help doctors monitor the progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study reports. The research, “Serum KL-6 And Surfactant Protein-D As Monitoring And Predictive Markers Of Interstitial Lung Disease In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis And…

Activation of certain immune cells in scleroderma (SSc) may be linked to infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), researchers showed. The study, “Epstein-Barr virus lytic infection promotes activation of Toll-like receptor 8 innate immune response in systemic sclerosis monocytes,” appeared in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy. The human immune system…

Scleroderma patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who respond well to treatment have more lung artery side branches than patients who respond poorly, according to a study. A milestone in the study was that researchers used an imaging method that had never been used in a scleroderma study. It allows…

The number of white blood cells known as CD16+ monocytes is notably greater in the blood of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients when skin or lung fibrosis is present, researchers said, recommending that these cells be studied further to determine if they contribute to fibrosis development in SSc. The study, “CD16-positive circulating…