Scleroderma Research Foundation to Host Live Webinar on Pulmonary Fibrosis

Expert from the University of California San Francisco, regarded as one the world's leading academic centers in health sciences, will lead a discussion on pulmonary fibrosis in scleroderma.

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Scleroderma Research Foundation

Nov 07, 2014, 04:17 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Paul Wolters, Director of Biological Research for the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) will host a live, free webinar on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. PST. His presentation,"Emerging Therapies in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Their Relevance for Scleroderma Patients," will educate a broad audience on the diagnosis and importance of early management of this complication for scleroderma patients.

Dr. Wolters specializes in connective tissue disorders and their involvement in the lung as well as the diagnosis and care of patients with interstitial lung disease. His research program at UCSF is directed toward understanding the molecular pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease and using this knowledge to develop novel therapies for treating these diseases.

According to Dr. Wolters, "The field of fibrosis research is progressing rapidly. Two new drugs have been shown this past year to slow progression of lung fibrosis, proving that it can be effectively treated. By advancing the understanding of the molecular causes of fibrosis, new therapies for scleroderma should be developed in the near future."

Dr. Wolters' webinar is the 16th in an ongoing free educational series available live or post-broadcast on the Scleroderma Research Foundation's website at www.SRFcure.org. The series is made possible by generous support from Gilead Sciences and United Therapeutics.

Where:
Register online at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/2t2c45z7b03y&eom

When:
Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. PST.

About Scleroderma
The word scleroderma means hard skin, but the disease is much more—often affecting the internal organs with life-threatening consequences. Scleroderma is considered a rare autoimmune disease and has one of the highest mortality rates of the rheumatic diseases. Women comprise 80% of the patient population with typical onset between the ages of 20 and 50. Scleroderma is characterized by widespread vascular abnormalities, immune dysregulation and fibrotic complications affecting multiple organs including the skin and lung. The disease is not contagious or directly hereditary and scientists are still searching for possible causes. There is no known cure and current therapies address various symptoms rather than truly arresting disease progression.

About the Scleroderma Research Foundation:
The Scleroderma Research Foundation is America's first and leading nonprofit investor in scleroderma research. It was founded in San Francisco in 1987 by scleroderma patient Sharon Monsky who lost her battle to the disease in 2002. Monsky's legacy lives on through the organization, chaired by Luke Evnin, Ph.D., a scleroderma patient and managing partner of MPM Capital, a dedicated investor in life sciences.

The Foundation's collaborative approach is guided by a world-class Scientific Advisory Board and is empowering scientists from leading institutions to work together to develop an understanding of how scleroderma begins, how it progresses and what can be done to slow, halt or reverse the disease process.

For more information, call 1-800-441-CURE or visit www.SRFcure.org. Follow the SRF on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Scleroderma Research Foundation