Our colleague, Professor Francesco Del Galdo, has had a collaborative study on systemic sclerosis with Yale University published in The Lancet Rheumatology.
The study, conducted in partnership with Professor Monique Hinchcliff of the Yale School of Medicine, introduces a new method for monitoring systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that causes hardening of the skin and internal organs and often affecting circulation.
For the first time, the research provides evidence that systemic sclerosis severity and progression can be monitored by measuring levels of type I interferon, a key immune system protein.
By observing participants’ interferon levels and using these as a measure of systemic sclerosis activity, the study showed that disease severity and that 12-month prognosis could be projected.
This discovery offers new avenues for monitoring and managing systemic sclerosis, with the potential to tailor treatments more precisely to individual disease profiles.
Professor Del Galdo co-leads Work Stream 2 of our Musculoskeletal Disease theme, which focuses on developing innovative approaches to musculoskeletal health.