Scleroderma and Raynaud Phenomenon The Medical University of South Carolina Division of Rheumatology and Immunology has had an ongoing interest in both basic and clinical research into the causes, mechanisms, and potential treatments of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and Raynaud Phenomenon, which often accompanies systemic sclerosis. Research areas being actively pursued by the faculty include investigation of the causes of fibrosis (which causes the thickening of the skin, lungs and other organs). This research focuses on such areas as regulation of fibroblast collagen production and differentiation. Research is ongoing to understand the effects of certain proteins, such as transforming growth factor beta and caveolin-1, on collagen production. Investigations are underway to understand the intracellular signaling occurring within the fibroblasts which lead to abnormal collagen production.
Clinical research is being performed to investigate the roles of immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil in scleroderma lung fibrosis. The use of medications such as sildenafil, bosentan, and trepostinil for pulmonary hypertension in scleroderma is being pursued.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) The Medical University of South Carolina Lupus Erythematosus research group (also known as M.U.S.C.L.E.) is comprised of faculty and staff with interests in clinical, translational, and basic research related to lupus. Faculty in this group are Drs. Gilkeson, Kamen, Mitchell, Oates, Ruth, Nowling, Zhang and Sekine. Our clinical research effort is divided into investigator initiated trials and industry sponsored treatment trials. Our investigator initiated trials are administered through the General Clinical Research Center and focus on biomarkers of lupus and lupus nephritis disease activity, the role of Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), biomarkers of atherosclerosis in SLE, and the role of nitric oxide in SLE. Our industry sponsored trials are designed to test a variety of therapies intended to be more targeted than current therapies for the treatment of lupus. Our basic research efforts focus on the role of reactive intermediates in the pathogenesis and disease damage involved in lupus, the role of complement in lupus, and genes involved in regulation of inflammatory processes in lupus.
Please visit our individual faculty pages to learn about each member’s research interests. Patients interested in participating in research are invited to contact one of our study coordinators to learn more details about our research trials.
If you are interested in a clinical trial, please contact the SLE study coordinators at 1-866-859-6107.
For more information and the latest news from the MUSC Lupus group, visit ourM.U.S.C.L.E. Website!
