Finding of long-sought drug target structure may  expedite drug discovery
Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs.
The researchers are from the National Institutes of Health, collaborating with labs at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego. The finding is published in the March 10 edition of Science Express. Read more...
Click here to learn more about the SRF's research program.
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Investigator Profile 
Hal Dietz became a scientist as well as a pediatrician to better care for young patients with Marfan syndrome. This potentially fatal connective tissue disease, which is thought to have affected Abraham Lincoln, Paganini, Charles de Gaulle, and the father of King Tut, enlarges the aorta, making it likely to tear or burst. When Dietz realized that standard treatments weren't working, he decided to find the molecular cause so better therapies could be devised.
His work has led to the current clinical trial of a surprising potential treatment for Marfan syndrome: a medication used to treat high blood pressure. "If you had asked me five years ago what I thought about the prospect of treating a connective tissue disorder with a pill, I would have told you that the chances were zero," read more...
To learn more about Dr. Dietz's SRF funded research click here.
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Cure Crew Member - Side B Show to Benefit SRF!
Come get your groove and raise funds and awareness for scleroderma research!
On April 30th, join Side B for their benefit show at The Bitter End, located at 147 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012.
Show starts at: 7pm -- Tickets must be purchased at door!
Ticket price $15 - All proceeds to benefit the Scleroderma Research Foundation! To learn more about Side B, visit their website.
If you're unable to attend and want to support this event, please check out their Cure Crew page to make a donation.
In other Cure Crew news, we'd like to welcome Robyn Merrill of Jacksonville, Florida as the newest member of our growing team of volunteer supporters. Learn more about the SRF's volunteer fund-raising crew by clicking here...
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 Investigators find link between DNA damage and immune response
Researchers offer the first evidence that DNA damage can lead to the regulation of inflammatory responses, the body's reaction to injury. The proteins involved in the regulation help protect the body from infection. The study, performed by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the first studies to come out of the recently established NIEHS Clinical Research Unit (CRU) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/clinical/join/durham/index.cfm). Appearing in the March 31 issue of PLoS Genetics, the research suggests that an injury to chromosomes alters the expression of a family of genes known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TLRs are proteins that play a role in the immune system by defending the body from infection. Read more... |
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Survey shows complementary and alternative medicine dialogue lacking between patients and their health care providers...
A new survey from NCCAM and AARP finds that although many people 50 and older use complementary and alternative medicine they often do not inform their health care providers.
Listen to this informative podcast by clicking here...
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Board Member Spotlight
Check out SRF board member, Bob Saget, on the cover of the May issue of ABILITY Magazine.
Since losing his sister Gay to scleroderma, Saget has served on the Scleroderma Research Foundation's board of directors, and today hosts the organization's charity-packed benefits around the country. He sat down with ABILITY's Chet Cooper and Regina Hall to discuss his upcoming benefit, "Cool Comedy/Hot Cuisine," and shared insight into how he managed to keep laughing in the midst of family tragedy.
Click here to read more of the excerpt from this article. |
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UT Health, Fudan University Launch Scleroderma Network
Scleroderma clinicians and researchers in the United States and China have launched an international network to fight this debilitating disease that affects more than one million people worldwide. The network was established by faculty at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and it will help clinicians compare treatments and researchers share data. Read more... Visit our website for more news impacting the scleroderma community. |
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Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine
Our San Francisco, Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine is just around the corner. A limited number of reserved seats are still available. Reserve your space now! This is a night of gourmet cuisine and world-class comedy hosted by comedian Bob Saget, featuring the foods of celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (two of Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters and the Food Network's Too Hot Tamales).
With Dana Carvey leading the laughter and musical guests the Counting Crows bringing down house, this is sure to be a fantastic night! Individual seats are $500 ($250 for patients). To reserve space or for more information, visit our website or call 800-441-CURE (2873). |
