January 2020 Scleroderma News

Antibody CD45-ADC Shows Potential to Treat Scleroderma and Other Diseases in Mice, Study Shows A single dose of an engineered antibody known as CD45-ADC can effectively eliminate disease-causing immune cells and ease the symptoms of scleroderma in mice, studies show. Scleroderma News, 12/04/2019. (Also see Stem Cell Transplantation)

Overview of Juvenile localized scleroderma (JLS) and its management. More studies of JLS pathophysiology are needed to allow the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets. PubMed, World J Pediatr, 11/30/2019. (Also see Juvenile Scleroderma)

Arterial stiffness correlates with progressive nailfold capillary microscopic changes in systemic sclerosis (SSc): results from a cross-sectional study. These data suggest that arterial stiffness correlates with microvascular damage in patients with SSc. PubMed, Arthritis Res Ther, 2019 Nov 27;21(1):253. (Also see Nailfold Capillaroscopy and Vascular Involvement)

Skin improvement is a surrogate for favourable changes in other organ systems in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). Changes in lung function in early dcSSc closely parallel skin changes and modified Rodnan skin score improvement reflects better prognosis for visceral disease. PubMed, Rheumatology (Oxford), 11/27/2019. (Also see Skin Fibrosis)

Cardiac magnetic resonance predicts ventricular arrhythmias in scleroderma (SSc): the Scleroderma Arrhythmia Clinical Utility Study (SanCtUS). Ventricular function, oedema (T2 ratio) and %late gadolinium enhancement had the greatest utility as independent predictors of rhythm disturbances in SSc patients. PubMed, Rheumatology (Oxford), 11/25/2019. (Also see Complications with Systemic Scleroderma Heart Involvement)

Fat Grafting for the Treatment of Scleroderma. Fat grafting in scleroderma patients likely improves skin manifestations by recreating fullness, correcting contour deformities, and improving skin quality. PubMed, Plast Reconstr Surg, 2019 Dec;144(6):1498-1507. (Also see En Coup de Sabre)

Cantargia Selects CAN10 as Development Project in Systemic Sclerosis and Myocarditis. Cantargia develops antibody-based pharmaceuticals against the interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) and the project will focus on unmet medical need in systemic sclerosis and myocarditis. PR Newswire, 12/05/2019. (Also see Interleukins)

Haemodynamic phenotypes and survival in patients with systemic sclerosis: the impact of the new definition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The data of this study show that a pulmonary vascular resistance threshold ≽3 WU is too high to enable an early diagnosis of PAH. PubMed, Ann Rheum Dis, 12/09/2019. (Also see Prognosis of Pulmonary Hypertension)

Progress in Understanding, Diagnosing, and Managing Cardiac Complications of Systemic Sclerosis. Recent application of novel cardiac detection strategies is providing increased insight into the breadth and pathogenesis of cardiac complications of scleroderma. PubMed, Curr Rheumatol Rep, 2019 Dec 7;21(12):68. (Also see Cardiac (Heart) Involvement)

Colonic Manifestations and Complications Are Relatively Under-Reported in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc): A Systematic Review. Colonic complications comprise a large proportion of the published reports on gastrointestinal symptoms afflicting patients with Ssc. PubMed, Am J Gastroenterol, 2019 Dec;114(12):1847-1856. (Also see Bowel Dysfunction)

SCLERO.ORG was the world's leading nonprofit for trustworthy research, support, education and awareness for scleroderma and related illnesses from 1998 to 2021. It was a grassroots movement from the original Scleroderma from A to Z web site, which was founded by Shelley Ensz. We were a 501(c)(3) U.S.-based public charitable foundation. We closed this web site and our nonprofit agency in April 2021.