UCSF Scientist Hosts Free Scleroderma Webinar on Lung Fibrosis

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) will be hosting a free, live webinar entitled “Emerging Therapies in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Their Relevance for Scleroderma Patients,” to be conducted by the university’s Director of Biological Research for the Interstitial Lung Disease Program, Dr. Paul Wolters. It will be broadcasted on the Scleroderma Research Foundation‘s website, on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. PST. Viewers can expect to learn about pulmonary fibrosis as it relates to scleroderma and the importance of initiating early treatment. The upcoming webinar is the 16th in the SRF’s series of free educational opportunities. These live events are made possible by Gilead Sciences and United Therapeutics.

Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease that is estimated to affect 20 out of every 1 million adult Americans every year, and is one of the most prevalent causes of death among rheumatic diseases. It causes systemic vascular abnormalities, problems with immune function, and fibrosis in a number of internal organs — commonly in the skin and lungs. While it is not contagious nor hereditary, scientists are still working on pinpointing what causes the disease to develop. Today, there is still no known cure for this life-threatening disease.

Dr. Wolters’ work focuses on disorders of the connective tissue and subsequent lung affectation. His research program at the university aims to learn more about the molecular roots and progression of fibrotic lung diseases and apply new scientific discoveries to the development of better treatments. “The field of fibrosis research is progressing rapidly,” he said. “Two new drugs have been shown this past year to slow progression of lung fibrosis, proving that it can be effectively treated. By advancing the understanding of the molecular causes of fibrosis, new therapies for scleroderma should be developed in the near future.”

Those interested can register through: http://www.srfcure.org/for-patients/webinars.

The Scleroderma Research Foundation is the country’s pioneering non-profit organization committed to supporting scleroderma research. Founded in 1987 by Sharon Monsky, a scleroderma patient herself who died from the disease in 2002, the organization is now led by Luke Evnin, Ph.D., a fellow patient and managing partner of MPM Capital.

The SRF is dedicated to supporting scientists from the most prestigious institutions across the country in conducting collaborative research initiatives on scleroderma, geared towards understanding the cause, course, and possible solutions of this disease.