Webinar on Pulmonary Fibrosis in Scleroderma Patients to be Hosted by Scleroderma Research Foundation

The Scleroderma Research Foundation will host a free, live webinar on the relationship between pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and scleroderma on Thursday, November 13, at 10:00 a.m. PST. The Director of Biological Research for the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Paul Wolters, will be the main lecturer to address questions regarding PF-related complications caused by the disease.

In his presentation, entitled “Emerging Therapies in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Their Relevance for Scleroderma Patients,” Wolters will discuss the importance of both the diagnosis and early management of PF, one of the possible complications from suffering from scleroderma. The rare autoimmune disease is characterized by hardening the skin, but it often affects internal organs as well, such as the lungs. Once organs are affected, the disease can have life-threatening implications.

“The field of fibrosis research is progressing rapidly. Two new drugs have been shown this past year to slow progression of lung fibrosis, proving that it can be effectively treated,” explained Wolters. “By advancing the understanding of the molecular causes of fibrosis, new therapies for scleroderma should be developed in the near future.”

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Dr. Wolters is a specialist in connective tissue disorders, the diseases’ involvement in the lungs, and the diagnosis and care of patients with interstitial lung disease. The research Wolters conducts at the UCSF is focused on the molecular pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease, and he has been dedicated to creating new understandings about lung diseases in order to develop novel therapies.

The webinar is part of a free education series that are currently being made available live or post-broadcast by the Scleroderma Research Foundation on their website, at www.SFRcure.org. In order to participate in Wolters’ webinar, registration online is required, which can be made here. This is the 16th part of the series, which are being supported by Gilead Sciences and United Therapeutics.

Since its launch in 1987 by the patient Sharon Monsky, the Scleroderma Research Foundation has been working to help patients, as well as increase knowledge about the disease’s onset, progression, and treatment by supporting scientific and educational projects such as this one. The organization is guided by a world-class Scientific Advisory Board that uses a collaborative approach, and it currently chaired by Luke Evnin, Ph.D., who suffers from scleroderma and is a managing partner of MPM Capital, and an investor in life sciences.