Miller School Researcher Receives Grant to Solve Scleroderma Mystery
The Miller School’s Eric Greidinger, M.D., associate professor of medicine, is one of eight clinical researchers across the country to receive a 2012 grant from the Scleroderma Foundation aimed at finding a cause and a cure for the chronic autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 300,000 Americans.
The foundation awarded Greidinger $150,000 over two years to fund his proposal, “Antigenic Targets of Autoimmunity-associated Raynaud’s Phenomenon.” The rheumatologist plans to use the award to explore a novel animal model of Raynaud’s Phenomenon, a cold-induced spasm of the blood vessels in the fingers and toes that can cause severe pain and lead to ischemia and tissue loss.
Present in more than 90 percent of scleroderma patients, Raynaud’s Phenomenon occurs in several autoimmune conditions, but to date its cause has been a mystery. Greidinger believes it may be due to an abnormal immune response that his studies are helping to reveal.
“Our model indicates that Raynaud’s is caused by an autoimmune reaction of B cells against a certain target on blood vessel lining cells,” Greidinger explained. “This insight could lead to dramatically different future treatments for Raynaud’s that target the immune response rather than just the vasospasm.”
Meaning “hard skin,” scleroderma can cause thickening and tightening of the skin and also serious damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, this damage can lead to organ failure and death. Though some medications and treatments alleviate certain symptoms, there is no cure.
Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., researcher and vice chair of the foundation’s Board of Directors, said the understanding of scleroderma has increased dramatically over the past decade, thanks to the foundation’s Research Grant Funding Program, which has awarded more than $18 million since it was established in 1989 – and to stellar researchers like Greidinger who have the scientific and clinical expertise needed to conduct groundbreaking studies.
“The program is vital not only to advancing the state of research on scleroderma, but also motivating new researchers to take an interest in the disease,” Feghali-Bostwick said.
Applicants for the grants were judged by a group of peers, who are guided by National Institutes of Health protocol and criteria.
