microRNA of Circulating Exosomes for Systemic Sclerosis
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease of unknown origin characterized by progressive fibrosis affecting the skin and numerous internal organs leading to severe disability, multiple organ failure, and a high mortality rate. Pulmonary involvement is the leading cause of mortality in SSc. A major unmet need for SSc clinical management is the absence of well-validated biomarkers that allow early diagnosis and accurate assessment of SSc-associated pulmonary fibrosis (SSc-ILD). The approach proposed here employing the quantitative measurement of microRNA (miRNA) contained in circulating serum exosomes is highly novel, and although it has been successfully applied to various malignant, cardiovascular, inflammatory, autoimmune and neurologic disorders, it has not been previously applied for the assessment of the pulmonary fibrotic involvement in SSc. This novel strategy is expected to provide unique and accurate indicators of the presence of SSc-ILD as well as potential biomarkers of a clinical response to a frequently used immunomodulatory drug for SSc and should be of great value for the establishment of personalized medicine for SSc.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110985
Entities
People
- Sergio Jimenez
Organizations
- Thomas Jefferson University
- United States Army