​Genetic data analysis highlights candidates for future trials
Written by Marisa Wexler, MS | March 24, 2026

Through an analysis of genetic data, scientists have identified dozens of existing medications that could potentially be repurposed as treatments for scleroderma, according to a new study.

Potential treatments identified in the analysis include therapies that modulate the activity of estrogen, a female sex hormone, as well as medicines that act on inflammatory pathways or neurotransmitters — signaling molecules that nerve cells use to communicate with each other and the rest of the body.
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Researchers noted that further work is needed to validate these findings, and that the identified drugs are not immediately ready for repurposing, but said their analysis offers a starting point for identifying existing medications that might be explored for scleroderma.
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The study, “Advancing drug development for systemic sclerosis by prioritising findings from human genetic association studies,” was published in Rheumatology.

​It's first biomarker linked to silica and other environmental triggers
Written by Patricia Inácio, PhD | March 17, 2026

​Measuring the blood levels of anti-CD146 antibodies may help identify people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) whose disease is associated with occupational exposure to silica and other mineral dusts, according to a small study.

This is the first biomarker linked to occupational exposure identified in SSc. Detecting these antibodies could help doctors identify patients whose disease may be driven by specific environmental triggers and guide monitoring strategies to detect other occupational diseases linked to those exposures early.
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The study, “Anti-CD146 Autoantibodies: The First Biologic Markers Associated With Occupational Exposure in Systemic Sclerosis,” was published in the journal ACR Open Rheumatology.

​Baths enriched with CO2 offer low-cost option to boost blood flow in fingers
Written by Andrea Lobo, PhD | March 3, 2026

​Hand baths enriched with carbon dioxide (CO2) — a gas that exists naturally in the atmosphere, and is produced by living things breathing out — can significantly widen blood vessels of the fingers in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated Raynaud’s phenomenon.

That’s according to a small clinical trial in Germany, which found that warm water hand baths can boost blood flow in the fingers in people with these conditions. By widening tiny blood vessels in the fingers more effectively than warm water alone, the treatment may help ease symptoms that make everyday tasks difficult for these patients, according to the researchers.

“These findings support CO₂ hand baths as a safe, low-cost, non-pharmacological adjunct [treatment],” the scientists wrote, adding that “larger trials with clinical endpoints are warranted.”

Patients interested in trying the therapy should first consult their doctors, but a carbon dioxide hand bath might combine sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and an acid (like citric acid or vinegar) in warm water. The fizzing reaction that results releases carbon dioxide, which can help boost circulation.

​The new study, “Carbon dioxide vs. warm-water hand baths in systemic sclerosis with secondary Raynaud’s syndrome – A capillaroscopy centered randomized controlled trial,” was published in the journal Microvascular Research.

ILD progression rates decline over time in EUSTAR registry
Written by Margarida Maia, PhD | February 24, 2026

​The use of immunosuppressive and combination treatments for interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD) has increased significantly over the past two decades, with more than half of patients now starting treatment at their first evaluation, according to a new study.

Over the same period, rates of ILD progression declined. However, the prognosis for people with SSc-ILD “remains suboptimal,” the researchers wrote, highlighting the need for more effective treatments.
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The study, “Impact of evolving treatment patterns on interstitial lung disease progression in systemic sclerosis using the EUSTAR database,” was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

​Study finds soluble CD13 higher in patients but not tied to severity
Written by Marisa Wexler, MS | February 17, 2026

Levels of soluble CD13, the circulating form of a protein involved in inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), are generally higher in people with scleroderma, but do not clearly correlate with disease severity or specific clinical features, a new study reports.

The findings suggest that CD13 alone is unlikely to serve as a reliable standalone biomarker for scleroderma, though more research is needed to understand whether it may help track how the disease changes over time.

The study, “Soluble CD13 in systemic sclerosis: clinical observations and transcriptomic insights from peripheral blood,” was published in Arthritis Research & Therapy. 

What scleroderma is and why CD13 may be involved
​Scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis or SSc, is a disease marked by inflammation and fibrosis that can affect the skin and internal organs. The causes of scleroderma are still not completely understood.

CD13 is a signaling protein known to help regulate inflammation and fibrosis. In this study, the researchers examined whether blood levels of soluble CD13 (sCD13) are altered in people with scleroderma and whether they correlate with SSc subtypes, blood vessel complications, skin and lung fibrosis, or SSc-specific autoantibodies — immune proteins that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues.

The researchers first analyzed plasma CD13 levels in 30 people: 10 with limited scleroderma, 10 with more severe diffuse scleroderma, and 10 healthy individuals. The groups were matched for factors such as age and sex. Here, the researchers found that CD13 levels were significantly higher in participants with diffuse scleroderma than in those with limited disease, but neither group showed significantly higher levels when compared with healthy controls.
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In a larger group designed to evaluate blood vessel complications, blood levels of CD13 were significantly higher in people with scleroderma than in controls, but no difference was seen between disease subtypes. Likewise, in a third group of patients with early-stage scleroderma, CD13 levels were again elevated compared with controls, but did not differ between disease subtypes.
“Altogether, significant elevation of sCD13 in SSc patients compared to healthy controls was consistently observed, however there was no difference between disease subtypes,” the team wrote.

PD-1 receptor ID'd as target for slowing disease progression
Written by Steve Bryson, PhD | February 10, 2026

​Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — a type of regulatory cell found in various tissues — work to reduce lung scarring in systemic sclerosis (SSc) by suppressing the growth of certain immune T-cells that carry the PD-1 receptor, according to a new study.

PD-1 is an immune checkpoint protein receptor found on T-cells that normally functions to prevent overactive immune responses and autoimmunity. In SSc patients, however, a subset of T-cells that carry PD-1 appears to drive disease progression, particularly in SSc-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), the data suggested.
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“These findings highlight PD-1 as a therapeutic target and support the clinical investigation of MSC-based interventions for SSc-ILD,” the researchers wrote.
Their study, “Mesenchymal stromal cells ameliorate systemic sclerosis-interstitial lung disease via PD-1/PD-L1 signalling axis,” was published in the journal RMD Open.

Targeting macrophages could be effective in disease prevention written by Marisa Wexler, MS | February 3, 2026

Macrophages, a type of immune cell, may be mainly responsible for driving fibrosis, or scarring, in people with scleroderma, according to new research done in animal models.

“These data suggest that a single cell type, macrophage, may be responsible for inducing scleroderma,” Sanja Arandjelovic, PhD, who co-led the study at the University of Virginia, said in a university news story. “Although more research is needed on understanding whether targeting these cells later during disease progression can reverse the existing tissue damage, our data suggest that macrophage inhibition could be effective in disease prevention in the high-risk patient population.”
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The study, “Macrophages Are Critical Inducers of Bleomycin-Induced Fibrosis in a Systemic Scleroderma Model,” was published in The American Journal of Pathology.

Researchers ID 3 genes that were significantly dysregulated in SSc patients
Written by Steve Bryson, PhD | January 27, 2026

Abnormal fatty acid metabolism may play a role in the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a gene activity analysis.

Researchers identified three genes involved in fatty acid metabolism that were significantly dysregulated in SSc patients. These changes correlated with markers of fat metabolism and disease complications, including lung involvement, the data suggested.
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These findings indicate that “dysregulated fatty acid metabolism may be implicated in the [development] of SSc,” which may provide “potential targets for metabolic intervention,” researchers wrote in the study, “Expression and clinical significance of fatty acid metabolism–related genes in PBMCs of SSc patients,” which was published in Clinical Rheumatology.

Study finds treatment may help reduce skin scarring in patients
Written by Marisa Wexler, MS | January 20, 2026

​Carbon dioxide ablative fractional laser (CO2-AFL) therapy, a treatment that’s long been used to remove wrinkles, may help reduce skin scarring in people with localized scleroderma, according to a new study.

“Overall, CO2-AFL treatment appears to have good therapeutic effects in patients with [localized scleroderma], especially patients who are unresponsive to conventional treatments. Furthermore, most of the adverse effects related to this treatment were mild and manageable, indicating the favorable safety profile of CO2-AFL treatment,” researchers wrote.
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The study, “Efficacy and Safety of Ablative Fractional CO2 Laser Therapy for Localized Scleroderma: A Comprehensive Bench-to-Bedside Approach,” was published in Dermatologic Therapy.

Study links antibody levels with pain, physical limits, and disease burden
Written by Patricia Inácio, PhD | January 13, 2026

Lower blood levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody measured through routine blood tests, were linked to poorer health-related quality of life in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), including greater pain, reduced physical function, and higher overall disease burden, a study reports.

These findings suggest that blood IgG levels could serve as a “reliable biomarker of patient-perceived disease burden,” the researchers wrote, an area where reliable measures have long been lacking.
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The study, “Lower total serum Immunoglobulin G is associated with impaired patient-reported health-related quality of life in systemic sclerosis: a prospective cross-sectional study,” was published in Rheumatology International.