Likely causes and treatment strategies for systemic scleroderma identified

Using mice, lab-grown cells and clues from a related disorder, researchers have greatly increased understanding of the causes of systemic sclerosis, showing that a critical culprit is a defect in the way certain cells communicate with their structural scaffolding. They say the new insights point the way toward potentially developing drugs for the disease, which affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States.