News

Because the overwhelming majority of people with the skin condition scleroderma also have gastrointestinal (GI) problems, researchers in Ontario set out to review existing literature into their potential causes to help facilitate the treatment of GI symptoms in these patients. What they found, though, was too few scientific studies into GI risk factors to adequately draw conclusions. Their…

A two-year study found that 80 percent of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients had deficient levels of vitamin D when compared to healthy controls, and worse disease symptoms. The results were presented at the 2015 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. The abstract, titled “Relationship Between Vitamin D Levels and Disease Activity in Patients…

A team of researchers at Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center developed an antiscarring paste that prevents the progression of fibrosis, representing a potential therapeutic for patients with scleroderma. The study, recently published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), is…

A new study showed that systemic sclerosis patients with interstitial pneumonia (SSc-ILD) have elevated levels of defensins in their lungs. Defensins are immune molecules with antimicrobial and inflammation regulatory properties. The study, titled “Association of elevated α-defensin levels with interstitial pneumonia in patients with systemic sclerosis,“  was published in the…

Pulmonary hypertension is a common co-morbidity of connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, occurring in up to 40 percent of patients. Texas-based Reata Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the first patient has enrolled in the LARIAT clinical trial, a study examining the therapeutics effect of bardoxolone methyl in patients with pulmonary…

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., a company focused on developing autologous cell therapies from adipose tissue for the treatment of several conditions, recently announced sustained positive results from its SCLERADEC-I clinical trial assessing the effects of Cytori Cell Therapy (ECCS-50) in patients with hand dysfunction related to scleroderma. Specifically, the company reported that…

Throughout 2015, Scleroderma News reported on studies characterizing scleroderma disease subsets, unique features, case reports, potential therapies and strategies for symptom management. As the year comes to an end, here are the top 10 articles that generated the most interest among Scleroderma News readers, as registered by total views. Here are the…

Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced the enrollment of the first patient in the Phase 3 clinical trial SENSCIS (Safety and Efficacy of Nintedanib in Systemic SClerosIS) evaluating the safety and efficacy of the company’s product nintedanib (OFEV) in patients with systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease. Systemic sclerosis is a rare, chronic autoimmune…

Protagen AG, a leader in the development of novel molecular diagnostics for autoimmune diseases, recently launched the Multilisa BICD2, an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) that together with clinical symptoms will aid on the diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). SSc is a complex, multi-organ autoimmune disease characterized by increased fibroblast…

Researchers  in Switzerland recently presented data revealing that patients with systemic sclerosis are likely to be deficient in certain micronutrients, and the deficiencies correlate with their disease. The data was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Meeting, held in San Francisco in November, and the abstract is…