In a series of lab experiments designed to unravel the workings of a key enzyme widely considered a possible trigger of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that in the most severe cases of the disease, the immune system makes a unique subset of antibodies that have a disease-promoting role.
Reporting in the journal Science Translational Medicine online May 22, the Johns Hopkins team describes how it found the novel antibodies to peptidylarginine deiminase 4, or PAD4, in blood samples from people with aggressive inflammation and connective tissue damage.
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Project Scleroderma:
A six-minute video featuring Christy Selfridge who lost her mother to scleroderma. The video also includes patient stories and highlights the importance of medical research to find improved treatments and a cure.
SRF 2012
Annual Report:
Research is the Key (2 MB PDF file)The Scleroderma Research Foundation’s 2012 Annual Report is available for download. Read about currently funded research projects and recent research advances.
SRF Live Webinar Series:Visit our webinar page to download and listen to recent webinars from leading experts. The SRF webinar series is free and features the latest advances in scleroderma research as well as important news about clinical trials and the ongoing search for improved therapies and a cure.
Moving Forward:
The Work of Scleroderma Research Foundation"Moving Forward" is a six minute video sharing the struggles presented by scleroderma, the bravery of patients living with the disease and the important role of medical research in the search for a cure.
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events
4/30/13 in Los Angeles
Thank you to everyone who made Tuesday night's event such a tremendous success. More than $515,000 was raised to support medical research. Guests enjoyed the cuisine of Top Chef Masters Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken and an incredible show led by host Bob Saget with appearances by Bill Bellamy, Craig Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jeff Ross and special musical guest, Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton. The event also featured the 10-piece Dick Bright Orchestra. Need to fulfill your generous pledge? Click here.
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featured news
May-2013Actelion should continue a late-stage study into a new heart and lung drug, independent monitors have recommended, with final results now expected by mid-2014, giving the biotech firm hope it has a further product in its pipeline.April-2013The Food and Drug Administration, acting on a law signed by President Obama in 2012, has launched the third phase of an initiative to increase patient participation in the regulation of drugs and medical devices. On Wednesday, the agency went live with a new website aimed at demystifying the regulatory process for consumers and patient advocates.April-2013Biologic therapies for rheumatologic diseases, which are targeted at molecules involved in the mechanisms of the immune system, provide an alternative to the existing treatment methods of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and other immunosuppressive medications.April-2013Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is unique among the rheumatic diseases because it presents the challenge of managing a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease with a widespread obliterative vasculopathy of small arteries that is associated with varying degrees of tissue fibrosis.March-2013This month marks the third anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act becoming law. Consumers have gained access to many new benefits under the law since it was passed in 2010. They include free preventive services, new rights to appeal insurers’ decisions, drug discounts for seniors on Medicare, and tax credits for small businesses.April-2013Systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disorder that's difficult to treat. However, thanks to new research at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, doctors may be able to treat some patients more effectively.March-2013Nanowires show sodium chloride may cause harmful T-cell growth.The incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, has spiked in developed countries in recent decades.February-2013Congratulations to renowned scientist and SRF Advisor Dr. David Botstein for being selected as one of the inaugural winners of the Breakthrough Prize for his work in mapping Mendelian disorders in humans.February-2013Lots of people are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) these days—things like vitamins, homeopathic or herbal medicine, chiropractors, acupuncture or massage therapy. But they don’t always tell their doctors about it.February-2013Medical research is vital to the advancement of health care, but many medical research studies have too few people who participate. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States.December-2012Scientists at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, have demonstrated that DNA previously thought to be "junk" plays a critical role in immune system response. The team's findings were published in Cell and may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of immune-related disorders.November-2012Australian scientists have confirmed a ‘weak link’ in the immune system – identifying the exact conditions under which an infection can trigger an autoantibody response, a process not clearly understood until now.November-2012In a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed innovative technology to selectively inhibit the part of the immune system responsible for attacking myelin-the insulating material that encases nerve fibers and facilitates electrical communication between brain cells.September-2010This study was undertaken to examine the temporal relationship between scleroderma development and malignancy, and to evaluate whether this differs by autoantibody status among affected patients.
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The Scleroderma Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund and facilitate the most promising medical research aimed at improved therapies and, ultimately, a cure for scleroderma. Information provided by the SRF should not be considered medical advice, nor is it intended to replace consultation with a qualified physician. The SRF does not evaluate, endorse or recommend any particular medications, products, equipment or treatments. Scleroderma varies substantially from one patient to another, and treatment must be tailored by a physician for each individual case. |
