Certain immune cells contribute to the development of fibrosis, researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine discovered in a study that might overturn the view of lung fibrosis as a disease unaffected by immune processes. The report titled, “Monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages drive lung fibrosis and persist in the lung over the life…
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The American Medical Association is adding descriptions of Cytori Therapeutics’ cell-based therapy for scleroderma of the hands to its authoritative database of medical procedures, services and technology. Because so many players in the American healthcare system use the database as a reference, the addition of the descriptions will help Cytori spread the word…
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) show high serum levels of adipsin, a peptide secreted from adipose tissue. Researchers believe adipsin could be used as a potential biomarker for SSc-PAH in these people. The finding was reported in the study, “Elevated Adipsin Levels are…
Today is the World Scleroderma Day, and to mark the occasion the Scleroderma Foundation is hosting a virtual “stepping out to cure scleroderma” walk-a-thon. The online initiative is an opportunity to connect with friends, family and supporters, and take part in an event to honor — or in memory of…
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Galectin Therapeutics a new patent that extends coverage of its candidate therapy GR-MD-02 to treat systemic sclerosis and other diseases in which high levels of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (or iNOS) enzyme causes inflammation.
Many systemic sclerosis patients develop pulmonary arterial hypertension, but not all who are suspected of having PAH are referred for testing, according to rheumatologist Janet Pope. She called for more commitment to screening in an editorial in Arthritis Research & Therapy. The piece was titled “Pulmonary arterial hypertension in…
Results of a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02465437) evaluating the effects of Corbus Pharmaceuticals’ anabasum (formerly known as Resunab or JBT-101) support this treatment as a potential option for patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. The study showed that treatment with anabasum affects the activity of nearly 1,940 genes…
Twenty-three-year-old college student Erhabor Emokpae from Maryland was diagnosed with diffuse systemic scleroderma in 2013. Although the disease has changed his life, it hasn’t stopped him from doing one of the things he loves most: making music. MORE: How to live your best life with a chronic illness. According to the…
An imaging technique called nailfold videocapillaroscopy and a blood-based detection of systemic sclerosis (SSc) specific autoantibodies can provide helpful information for early diagnosis of the condition, according to two studies presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017, held June 14-17…
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Fibrocell’s FX-013 Therapy Wins FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for Localized Scleroderma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to FX-013, a Fibrocell gene therapy candidate to treat children with moderate to severe localized scleroderma. “Fibrocell CEO John Maslowski said in in a press release that the designation, in addition to FX-013’s Orphan Drug Designation,…
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