Pirin: A new target to prevent fibrosis in scleroderma?

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) or scleroderma is a life altering and sometimes lethal, chronic autoimmune disease. SSc is characterized by excessive and persistent deposition of collagen and other extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules in the skin and internal organs, which can lead to significant and debilitating fibrosis. The Neubig Lab at Michigan State University identified a series of compounds (CCG series) that act in the Rho/MRTF/SRF pathway and attenuated collagen and smooth muscle actin expression —known fibrotic markers—in fibroblasts from SSc patients, and prevented bleomyocin-induced fibrosis in mice.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research