Here at the Scleroderma Research Foundation, research is at the center of all we do to find a cure—and that’s only possible because of the dedicated support of our community. Your investments make a remarkable impact on our research efforts, and we’re thrilled to share updates on the results of these meaningful partnerships:
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- Exciting news: the CONQUEST Platform Clinical Trial has officially launched! The first site can begin enrolling patients this month, and in the coming year, we expect to have 130 participating centers in 22 countries enrolling patients in the trial. CONQUEST’s unique design is expected to rapidly advance promising treatments and offers unique benefits for people living with scleroderma.
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- Dr. Howard Chang and his team at Stanford University made a groundbreaking discovery about the role of the Xist molecule that sheds light on why women are more likely than men to develop certain autoimmune diseases, like scleroderma. The SRF is the primary sponsor of this study, and this marks a major milestone in our near decade-long investment in understanding sex-biased autoimmunity.
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- Robust data from the CONQUER registry is now being used by investigators to move research forward. To date, 6 research papers have been published using CONQUER data, with more manuscripts in the pipeline. With the help of supporters like you, this first-of-its-kind longitudinal patient registry was launched by the SRF in 2018 and has grown to include over 930 participants.
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- On April 12 & 13, we were pleased to convene our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board, current and prospective SRF-funded researchers, and a select group of outside experts at our Annual Science Workshop. These two days of intensive evaluation, discussion, and collaboration help inform our annual grant funding decisions, which I look forward to sharing with you this summer.
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- In case you missed it, in January we introduced the SRF’s first Chief Medical Officer, Gregory Gordon, MD, JD, who brings his medical knowledge and leadership expertise to enhance our extensive patient-centric initiatives. Greg also plays a leadership role in guiding the global impact of CONQUEST, helping to ensure the success of this innovative platform clinical trial.
These remarkable achievements underscore the extraordinary impact of our supporter’s generosity. Thank you to our entire community for moving us ever closer to a brighter future without scleroderma.
