National Cancer Institute 5F31CA284547-04

Targeting fibrosis to change cancer outcomes

This award funds research targeting fibrosis in Scleroderma patients to reduce lung cancer risk by studying pathogenic cells and developing targeted therapies to reverse scarring and cancer progression.

Description

Patients diagnosed with Scleroderma (SSc), a disease resulting in the progressive scarring of the skin and lungs, have a significantly increased risk of lung cancer, or Cancerous Scleroderma (CSc). The main cell type responsible for this severe scarring promotes the development of lung cancer in SSc patients. This research aims to uncover ways to target these pathogenic cells to resolve CSc. Currently, there is no established treatment to reverse scarring in any organ. The insights gained from this research could be tremendously impactful.

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