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Greetings!
PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO YOUR TEEN OR YOUR FRIEND'S TEEN.
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| NIAMS-Funded Scientists Find Potential Target for Fibrosis Treatment |
 Two separate research groups funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) have discovered that the molecule EGR-1 (early growth response 1), which regulates gene expression, plays a central role in the development of fibrosis, a condition in which organ-supporting tissue becomes thick, hard, and rigid, hindering normal tissue and organ function. Controlling EGR-1, say the scientists, could be a potential therapy for such disorders as scleroderma and pulmonary fibrosis. Their findings have been reported in the "American Journal of Pathology."
 The two research groups were headed by Scleroderma Foundation Board of Directors' Vice Chair Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Scleroderma Foundation Medical Advisory Board Chair John Varga, M.D., at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Among the other researchers involved with these two groups were Eileen Hsu, M.D., University of Pittsburgh, who received the Scleroderma Foundation's "Marta Marx Fund for the Eradication of Scleroderma" award in 2010, and Swati Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., Northwestern University, who received a three-year research grant from the Scleroderma Foundation in 2006. |
| Early Bird Registration Ends July 7! |
 Early Bird Registration Rates
Now through July 7: $185 for members and $235 for non-members.
Meal Functions Only (no workshops): $115.
Registration for a child 12 years of age & under: $20. Register at:
Do you need financial assistance in order to attend the Conference? Apply for a scholarship. Full and partial scholarships are available and intended for those who would be unable to attend the Conference without outside financial assistance. The application deadline for interested candidates is May 7.
Apply for scholarship at: |
| How Health Care Reform Will Affect You |
Historic Bill Will Change Health Care in the Short Term and Long Term for Consumers and Employers
The yearlong, often ugly journey toward health care reform reached a historic milestone this past March, with the House approving legislation that would extend coverage to 32 million more Americans and impose new restrictions on the insurance industry. Learn more at:
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| Social Networks a Lifeline for the Chronically Ill |
 A former model who is now chronically ill and struggles just to shower says the people she has met online have become her family. A quadriplegic man uses the Web to share tips on which places have the best wheelchair access, and a woman with multiple sclerosis says her regular Friday night online chats are her lifeline. Learn more at: |
| "Why I Am Attending the Conference" |
 "Attending last year's Scleroderma National Patient Education Conference was important to me because I had many questions that needed answers. For others like me, I would recommend attending the 2010 Conference so they too can benefit from the support one receives and the knowledge one gains. I would also recommend caregivers attend because they will learn ways to assist a scleroderma patient while maintaining their own personal health."
-Marlette Carey of Lebanon, Tennessee |
| Systemic Sclerosis: Separate influences of birth order and gravidity/parity on the development of systemic sclerosis |
 Abstract
Objective
Birth order has been valuable in revealing the role of environmental influences on the risk of developing certain diseases such as allergy and atopy. In addition, pregnancy has profound effects on the immune system such as short-term effects that permit fetal survival as well as longer-term effects that could influence late-onset diseases.  In order to better evaluate these influences, we studied the association of birth order and gravidity/parity as risk factors for systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma).
Two of the contributors to this article are on the Scleroderma Foundation Medical Advisory Board - Maureen Mayes, M.D. and Frank Arnett, M.D.
Learn more at:
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| Nutrition Tips: Decreased Appetite |
 Offer high caloric drink foods such as ice cream, milk shakes, or eggnog. Offer familiar foods. Favorite foods can stimulate the appetite. Try making the main meal of the day at lunch when the appetite is larger. Sit directly in front of the person and show each spoonful to help them orient. Learn more at:
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