Egr-ly awaiting a "personalized medicine" approach to treat scleroderma.

Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling
Andrew Leask

Abstract

Scleroderma, an autoimmune disorder characterized by skin and organ fibrosis, has no treatment. Although over the past decade valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying scleroderma have been generated, results in clinical trials have been disappointing. This issue is likely to arise due to the heterogeneity of scleroderma. Molecular insights into the heterogeneity of this disease have been provided by genome-wide expression profiling. In a recent paper, Bhattacharyya and colleagues (PLOS One 6:e23082, 2011b) to show that the overexpression of a range of "fibroproliferative" genes in diffuse cutaneous scleroderma patients are likely to be caused by the overexpression of transcription factor Early growth response (Egr)-1. Only a minority of Egr-1-regulated genes were also found to be regulated by TGF-ß. Moreover, Greenblatt and colleagues (Am J Pathol., 2012) have shown that the overexpression of "inflammatory" genes overexpressed in "localized" scleroderma and a small subset of limited and diffuse scleroderma patients is likely to be due to the activity of interleukin-13 (IL-13). Intriguingly, at a gene expression level, murine sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease (sclGVHD) approximates this inflammatory sub...Continue Reading

References

Jan 21, 2001·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·A HolmesA Leask
Oct 8, 2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Michael L WhitfieldM Kari Connolly
Jun 3, 2006·The Journal of Investigative Dermatology·Wataru IshidaJohn Varga
Jul 24, 2008·PloS One·Ausra MilanoMichael L Whitfield
Aug 14, 2008·Current Opinion in Rheumatology·Francesco Zulian
Jun 12, 2009·Rheumatology·D J AbrahamO Distler
Oct 9, 2009·The Journal of Investigative Dermatology·Jennifer L SargentMichael L Whitfield
Dec 25, 2009·Rheumatology·Robert W Simms, Robert Lafyatis
Apr 23, 2011·Matrix Biology : Journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology·Swati BhattacharyyaJohn Varga
Jan 17, 2012·The American Journal of Pathology·Matthew B GreenblattAntonios O Aliprantis

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 23, 2014·Current Rheumatology Reports·Rucsandra DobrotaOliver Distler

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Blood And Marrow Transplantation

The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or blood and marrow transplantation (bmt) is on the increase worldwide. BMT is used to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Here is the latest research on bone and marrow transplantation.

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.