SCLERODERMA

Scleroderma is a rheumatic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue which causes skin thickening, spontaneous scarring, blood vessel disease and varying degrees of inflammation. As there is currently no cure for scleroderma, treatments generally focus on minimizing particular symptoms.

In the United States, approximately, 300,000 people (1 in 1000) are affected by scleroderma. Although it is a rare disease, it can be devastating, and finding new treatments is vital. Women are four times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. While it appears to run in families, as of yet, no gene associated with the disease has been identified.